The Japanese stock market experienced a slight downturn today, with the Nikkei 225 index falling by 0.87%. Despite this daily decline, the index has shown a robust increase of 6.98% over the past month, indicating a generally positive trend in the market.
In terms of individual stock performance, FUJIFILM Holdings Corp. emerged as the top performer in the large-cap category, achieving a return of 3.56%. Conversely, Lasertec Corp. struggled, posting a decline of 8.36%. The mid-cap sector saw Gunma Bank, Ltd. leading with an impressive return of 8.04%, while SUMCO Corp. lagged behind with a drop of 7.52%. In the small-cap segment, Feedforce Group, Inc. excelled with a remarkable return of 18.18%, while Soft99 Corp. faced significant challenges, declining by 17.16%.

Overall, the advance-decline ratio across the market was favorable, with 2,276 stocks advancing compared to 1,236 declining, resulting in a ratio of 1.84. Notably, small-cap stocks showed the strongest performance, with an advance-decline ratio of 2.65. As the market continues to evolve, investors will be keenly watching upcoming earnings reports from several companies, including SHIMAMURA Co., Ltd. and HONEYS Holdings Co., Ltd., scheduled for later this month.