The Japanese stock exchange ended on a loss on Wednesday. Investors decided to take some profit after the recent strong rise. An increase in the Japanese yen also put price pressure on the major export companies. The other Asian stock exchanges also mainly took a step back.

The leading Nikkei in Tokyo finally closed 0.5 percent lower at 21,638.16 points. The Japanese automakers Mazda, Honda and Nissan, who sell many vehicles abroad, struggled with the more expensive yen and lost up to 2.1 percent. The Japanese oil company Inpex fell nearly 3 percent after a fall in oil prices. Fast Retailing, on the other hand, climbed 2.7 percent after strong sales from its Uniqlo clothing chain.

The stock market in Shanghai fell 0.9 percent in the meantime and in Hong Kong the Hang Seng index fell 0.3 percent. Figures from market researchers Caixin and Markit showed that activity in the Chinese services sector reached the lowest level in June in four months. The Kospi in Seoul lost 1.2 percent. In Australia, the All Ordinaries left the day with a gain of 0.6 percent.