Nikkei falls after comment finance minister

Nikkei plunged Tuesday after a comment by the German finance minister ruined expectations of an early optimism over the eurozone debt crisis. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 137.69 points, or 1.55 percent, from Monday at 8,741.91, slipping from a six-week closing high set the previous day. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 10.64 points, or 1.40 percent, lower at 751.24. The decliners include the precision machinery, iron and steel, and glass and ceramics sectors. The air transport sector ended flat. The turnover was about 838.4 billion yen (about 10.92 billion U.S. dollars).