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Tokyo's stock market closed today's final session of the week in negative territory as investors continued to worry about the stability of the US and European financial systems following turmoil in the banking sector.

However, losses were limited by purchases of shares in companies related to the semiconductor sector, Kyodo said.

The Nikkei-225 index lost 34.36 points, or 0.13 percent, to 27,385.25.

The broader Topix index fell 2 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,955.32.

In the main market, the shares of banks, insurance companies and consumer lending companies were the biggest losers.

Stock markets posted gains

The US dollar eased to a lower range of around ¥130 to the dollar, while speculation that the US Federal Reserve may hold off on raising interest rates earlier than expected fueled prospects for a narrowing of the gap between long-term interest rates in the US and Japan, traders said.

By noon Tokyo time, $1 was trading at 130.47-50 yen, compared with 130.78-88 in New York and 130.90-92 in Tokyo yesterday afternoon.

The euro traded at $1.0819-0823 and 141.16-24 yen, versus $1.0827-0837 and 141.70-80 yen in New York and $1.0906-0907 and 142.76-80 yen in Tokyo. yesterday.

Wall Street closed higher last night as US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen calmed markets by assuring that measures would be taken to preserve Americans' deposits, Reuters reported.

All three major stock indexes on the New York Stock Exchange returned to gains just an hour before the end of the session, when Yellen resumed her address to Congress.

After her hearing, the shares of the troubled California bank "First Republic Bank" (First Republic Bank) erased 6 percent.

At the same time, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, Coinbase Global, wiped 14.1 percent of its value after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) threatened to seek legal liability from the company.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 75.14 points, or 0.23 percent, to 32,105.25.

The broader Standard & Poor's 500 rose 11.75 points, or 0.3 percent, to 3,948.72.

The high-tech Nasdaq was up 117.44 points, or 1.01 percent, at 11,787.4.

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