Tokyo stocks close lower Thursday

Tokyo stocks continued lower into the sixth straight trading day Thursday, with the Nikkei Stock Average sliding 130.99 points, or 1.48%, to end the day at 8,720.01, its lowest level since June 26. It is the first time for the benchmark index to fall for six days in a row since the seven-day slide from April 3-11. The index dropped 384 points over the six-day period, according to (Nikkei.com). Wall Street closed lower overnight amid concerns about a global economic slowdown. The negative sentiment continued on the Tokyo market, with investors selling cyclical issues, such as marine shippers and machinery makers. Anxiety over the economy strengthened after Australia released unexpectedly weak jobs data. Investors also appeared disappointed by the Bank of Japan's decision not to implement additional monetary easing steps at its policy board meeting earlier in the day, pushing down the Nikkei average by slightly more than 140 points at one point. The trading value on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange totaled about 1.05 trillion yen on a preliminary basis, topping the psychologically important 1 trillion yen mark for the first time in nine trading days.