Japan Market Daily | Kabutaro & Friends

On June 28, 2026, while major global financial markets were closed for Sunday, market participants analyzed economic indicators and data from the previous week to prepare for upcoming trading. In recent equity sessions, the Nikkei 225 entered the weekend lower at 70,757.84 yen due to profit-taking. In the FX market, the USD/JPY cross remained stable within a historic weak-yen zone in the lower-to-mid 161 yen range, driven by expectations of prolonged high U.S. interest rates and widening yield differentials. Meanwhile, Japan's May core CPI data, which rose 2.5 percent year-on-year to exceed market expectations, continued to fuel speculation regarding future interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan. In commodities, WTI crude futures maintained a lower stance in the 84-dollar range following the official signing of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement, functioning as a stabilizing factor against near-term global inflationary pressures.