Nikkei 225 Edges Higher Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty and Mixed Global Cues

The Nikkei 225 Index rose 74.00 points, or 0.29%, to close at 25,381.85 on Tuesday. The modest advance occurred despite a volatile session and negative signals from Wall Street, where the Nasdaq experienced a significant drop, ending at its lowest closing level in over a year. Market sentiment was heavily influenced by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Traders focused on the resumption of peace talks, hoping for a diplomatic breakthrough to stabilize global markets and reduce systemic risk. Performance across sectors was highly fragmented. Major exporters saw gains, with Nissan Motor rising over 4% and Toyota adding more than 1%. Conversely, the mining and metals sector suffered heavy losses; Pacific Metals plunged more than 17%, and Toho Zinc slid over 9%. Market heavyweights SoftBank Group and Fast Retailing also faced pressure, falling more than 5% and 4% respectively. The Japanese market's resilience contrasted with a poor showing in the U.S., where the Nasdaq plunged 2% to 12,581.22 and the S&P 500 slid 0.7%. In contrast, European indices surged, with the German DAX gaining 2.2%. In the commodities space, West Texas Intermediate crude futures for April fell 5.8% to $103.01 a barrel, driven by reports that the U.S. may lift sanctions on Venezuelan oil. In the currency markets, the U.S. dollar remained stable, trading in the lower 118 yen range during the session.