Nikkei falls to near 1-month low

The Nikkei index slid to its lowest level in nearly a month on Monday on bleak business data released by the Bank of Japan. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average closed down 73.65 points, or 0.83 percent, at 8,796.51, the first time since Sept. 6 that it has ended below the 8,800 mark. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange lost 5.07 points, or 0.69 percent, to 732.35. Rubber products makers, textile makers and real estate developers suffered the biggest losses, while utility suppliers and mining firms bucked the trend. The report of the central bank's quarterly survey, published shortly before the stock market opened, showed the diffusion index for large manufacturers in September stood at minus 3, down from June's minus 1. Turnover during the day's trading reached 0.8905 trillion yen ( 11.42 billion U.S. dollars).