(Bloomberg) -- It's finally happening. U.S. political concerns and North Korean tensions may be starting to weigh on investment decisions when it comes to Japanese stocks.
The benchmark Topix index recorded its first monthly decline in five months -- and only its second loss this year -- after stocks fell 0.1 percent amid concerns surrounding the Trump administration's policy agenda and North Korea's missile launches.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average posted a steeper drop of 1.4 percent, as changes in the Bank of Japan's exchange-traded funds purchases has favored the Topix index.
Nevertheless, investors may have something to look forward to as the summer ends, shares in Tokyo have typically recorded gains in September through the rest of the year, according to five-year trailing averages of both indices.
To contact the reporter on this story: Livia Yap in Singapore at lyap14@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Divya Balji at dbalji1@bloomberg.net, Sree Vidya Bhaktavatsalam
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