Tokyo
Tokyo stocks closed lower Monday as investors weighed rising coronavirus infections against the positive effects of new US and Japanese stimulus packages. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.18 percent, or 48.97 points, to 26,714.42, while the broader Topix index was down 0.23 percent, or 4.19 points, at 1,789.05. Shortly before the Tokyo market opened, US lawmakers reached a deal for a nearly $900 billion Covid-19 relief package for millions of Americans as the nation struggles with the world’s largest outbreak of the virus. At home, Japan’s government approved a record 106.6 trillion yen budget for the next fiscal year, including measures to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic.—APP
