Japan’s Nikkei share average dropped to a near one-week low on Thursday as another rise in global bond yields kept the market on edge, but Konica Minolta jumped after it joined a growing list of companies announcing higher shareholder payouts.
The Nikkei share average ended 1.0 per cent lower to 19,570.24, the weakest closing level since May 8. The broader Topix fell 0.8 per cent to 1,591.49 and the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 also dropped 0.8 per cent to 14,377.97.
Konica Minolta soared 12 per cent after it announced a share buyback and dividend hike on top of solid earnings.