Against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East, the Japanese stock market published the stocks with the largest gains and losses in early March among the TOPIX 100 constituents. The period compares closing prices on 27 February and 13 March. Shipping stocks were prominent among the top-ranked names, while chemical and banking stocks stood out among the bottom-ranked names.
This article examines the 10 TOPIX 100 constituents with the largest gains and the 10 with the largest losses by comparing their closing prices on 27 February 2026 and 13 March of the same year. As the market became unstable amid concerns that tensions in the Middle East would persist, the article focuses on individual stock movements. The top-ranked names included electrical equipment, shipping, and information and communications stocks. In the shipping sector, rising tanker freight rates and expectations for higher spot rates were cited as factors supporting share prices, with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines ranked fourth and NYK Line fifth. The article includes analysts' comments as an objective explanation.
Chemical and banking stocks stood out among the bottom-ranked names, with integrated chemical companies in particular declining in relative share-price performance. Among integrated chemical companies, Mitsubishi Chemical Group ranked first and Unicharm ranked eighth. Among bank stocks, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group ranked sixth and Mizuho Financial Group ranked tenth. The article reports the view that expectations of an interest-rate hike in February and political developments affected share prices.