Nikkei at 3-week closing low, consumer lenders up

TOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average fell 2.3 percent on Monday to mark a three-week closing low, with exporters hit by a stronger yen and weak consumer spending data that sparked a broad Wall Street sell-off.

But shares of Aiful Corp (8515.T: Quote, Profile, Research) and other Japanese consumer lenders soared after a source said the government may ease regulations that have crippled the industry and raised hurdles for small businesses to get loans. [ID:nT79045]

The benchmark Nikkei .N225 lost 231.79 points to 9,802.95 after earlier falling as much as 3 percent to 9,736.14. The broader Topix .TOPX lost 1.6 percent to 880.54. (Reporting by Elaine Lies)