Japanese equities plunged for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday on lingering global growth fears after weaker-than-expected US manufacturing PMI data release. Meanwhile, market players are cautious ahead of the ECB press conference due on Thursday. The Nikkei 225 Index sank 1.09% to end the session at 8,679.82. Only two sectors within the index rose. Health care and telecommunication firms managed to add 0.63% and 0.52%. Astellas Pharma and Chugai Pharmaceutical climbed 2.70% and 1.51% while Softbank gained 1.13%. Meanwhile, utilities were mixed, with Chubu Electric Power adding 2.36% and Tokyo Electric Power falling by 1.60%. Chubu Electric Power surprised the markets by reporting a dividend forecast of JPY50 per share for the year ending March 2013. On the downside were oil and gas companies and industrials. Inpex and JX Holdings slumped 2.17% and 4.04% on weak energy prices. Daikin Industries and Hino Motors dropped by 1.26% and 1.30%.