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Japanese stocks ended mixed on Monday as hopes for a US interest rate hike in September affected market feelings. The Nikkei 225 decreased by 0.14% to 66,312, while the Topix increased by 0.23% to 4,156. Investor confidence dipped after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's hawkish speech at Jackson Hole, where he indicated that inflation was not decreasing enough and emphasized the Fed's goal of returning inflation to 2%, causing concerns about higher US interest rates lasting longer.
Rising oil prices added to the pressure after the US military attacked Iranian rocket launchers. In Japan, industrial output rose unexpectedly in July, and retail sales growth was stronger than expected, but technology stocks dropped, with Advantest down 4.5%, Terra Drone 17.8%, Murata 2.8%, and Disco Corp 2.1%. For the month, the Nikkei gained 3.03%, and the Topix grew by 3.82%.
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