Japan's Nikkei share average moved in a narrow range on Monday, with the market showing little clear direction. Trading stayed subdued as investors weighed lower oil prices against a cautious mood ahead of an important week for corporate earnings.
A key factor in early sentiment was the drop in crude prices after the United States suspended attacks on Iran. That shift eased one source of recent market pressure, but it was not enough to spark broad buying in Japanese equities.
Instead, investors appeared reluctant to make aggressive bets before a series of earnings reports. Market participants are watching upcoming results closely for signals on business conditions, profit trends and the outlook for global demand.
Attention is also turning to earnings from major US cloud companies, which could shape sentiment well beyond Wall Street. With those reports still ahead, the Nikkei largely held steady as traders waited for clearer direction from both corporate results and the broader global backdrop.
