Tokyo: Nikkei falls for 4th day as strong yen hits; US jobs in focus

[TOKYO] Japan's Nikkei share average fell for a fourth day on Friday on concerns that a stronger yen may squeeze exporters' earnings, while investors awaited US jobs data for clues on the Federal Reserve's policy outlook.

The Nikkei dropped 1.3 per cent to 16,819.59 points, the lowest closing level since Jan 26. For the week, the benchmark index declined 4 per cent.

Bucking the weakness, Sharp Corp soared on buyout hopes as Foxconn Chief Executive Officer Terry Gou is in Osaka to meet Sharp's executives.

The broader Topix dropped 1.4 per cent to 1,368.97 in heavy trade, with 3.39 billion shares changing hands, compared with a daily average volume of 2.2 billion shares.

The JPX-Nikkei Index 400 shed 1.4 per cent to 12,358.86.

REUTERS