The Nikkei 225 Index Closes 1.80% Higher

The Nikkei 225 Index went up by 1256 points or 1.80 percent on Thursday to close at 71158 points. The rise was led by Murata Manufacturing (12.38%), Ajinomoto (8.41%) and Recruit Holdings (6.89%).

The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 1.65% to close at 71,053, while the broader Topix Index advanced 1.37% to 4,068 on Thursday, with both benchmarks reaching fresh record highs after President Donald Trump signed an interim agreement to end the conflict with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The deal eased concerns over Japan’s economy, which depends heavily on energy imports from the Middle East. Japanese equities also shrugged off an overnight selloff on Wall Street following signals from the US Federal Reserve that support for a rate hike this year is increasing. Financial stocks led the rally, with gains from Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (3.1%), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (4.3%), and Mizuho Financial Group (3%). Technology shares also moved higher, including Lasertec (7.1%), Tokyo Electron (4.7%), and SoftBank Group (4.5%).

The Nikkei 225 Index rose 531 points or 0.77 percent on Wednesday to close at 69936 points. Leading the gains are Lasertec Corp (12.22%), Kawasaki (7.92%) and Sumitomo Osaka Cement (7.73%). Top losers were T&D Holdings (-2.90%), Olympus (-2.77%) and Japan Post (-2.76%).