Tokyo stocks end down on unease over Russia

Tokyo stocks ended lower on Tuesday after global markets mostly retreated as US tech shares stumbled and a short-lived mutiny in Russia stoked unease on trading floors.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was down 0.49 percent, or 160.48 points, to end at 32,538.33, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.28 percent, or 6.36 points, to 2,253.81.

The dollar stood at 143.62 yen, against 143.50 yen in New York late Monday.

Falls in large tech shares weighed on major indices on Wall Street overnight.

Shares of Google parent Alphabet dropped 3.2 percent following a downgrade by UBS, while Tesla plunged 6.1 percent on a downgrade by Goldman Sachs.

Worries related to an advance by the Wagner mercenary force, which was called off before it reached Moscow, also held back share prices, according to analysts.

The developments weighed on the sentiment of investors in Japan, where "uncertainty over the situation in Russia smouldered", IwaiCosmo Securities said.

"As the end of the month approaches, concerns over the tilt toward selling also dragged down the market," it said.

SoftBank Group slipped 1.57 percent to 6,518 yen and Sony Group fell 1.23 percent to 12,830 yen.

Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing was down 0.11 percent to 35,750 yen, but Toyota was up 0.72 percent to 2,237 yen.

AFP