Japan's Nikkei slips as shares go ex-dividend; Sony Financial surges in debut

TOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei slipped on Monday for a second consecutive day, retreating from record-high levels reached last week, as numerous stocks lost their dividend entitlements.

The Nikkei 225 Index .N225 was down 1% at 44,892.52, as of the midday break, easing from the record-high close of 45,754.93 on Thursday. The broader Topix .TOPX lost 1.8%.

In a closely watched market debut, Sony Financial 8729.T jumped as much as 40% after being spun off from Sony Group 6758.T, whose shares edged 0.2% higher.

Monday marked the ex-dividend date for many Japanese firms, meaning new shareholders won't receive upcoming dividend payouts. That, along with a strengthening yen and recent market highs, created headwinds for equities, Nomura strategist Maki Sawada said.

"The Nikkei average surged sharply in September, so we might be seeing a pause in that rally," Sawada said.

There were 22 advancers on the Nikkei against 202 decliners.

The biggest decliners were heavy equipment maker Komatsu 6301.T, down 4.7%, followed by Honda Motor 7267.T, which sank 4.2%.

The largest percentage gainers in the index were Sumco 3436.T, up 7.8%, followed by M3 2413.T, gaining 7.5%, and chip heavyweight Advantest 6857.T, which added 3.5%.