The Nikkei 225 rose 0.05% to close at 42,633 on Friday, while the broader Topix Index gained 0.58% to 3,101, snapping a three-day losing streak as investors digested fresh inflation data.
Japan's core CPI increased 3.1% year-on-year in July 2025, easing from 3.3% in June but surpassing market expectations of 3%. The figure remained well above the Bank of Japan's 2% target, reinforcing bets on a rate hike later this year.
Market sentiment was also shaped by caution ahead of US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's Jackson Hole speech, with investors wary he may push back against expectations for near-term easing.
Among individual movers, Sanrio rose 1.6%, SoftBank Group added 2%, Lasertec gained 2.5%, Tokyo Electric Power advanced 1.8%, and Mitsubishi UFJ climbed 1.6%. Still, both indexes ended the week in negative territory, with the Nikkei down 1.72% and the Topix off 0.22%.
Source: Trading Economics
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