The Nikkei 225 Index Closes 1.59% Higher

The Nikkei 225 Index gained 1077 points or 1.59 percent on Friday to close at 68821 points. Gains were led by Sumco (15.23%), Softbank (11.38%) and Mitsubishi Motors (11.25%).

The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 1.2% to close at 68,558, while the broader Topix Index added 0.39% to 4,036 on Friday, with Japanese shares rising for the second straight session and tracking gains on Wall Street overnight as a rally in semiconductor stocks lifted investor sentiment. Easing oil prices also supported the market by helping curb inflation concerns and reducing pressure on Japan’s import-dependent economy. Meanwhile, data showed Japan’s producer prices accelerated to their fastest pace in more than three years, reflecting persistent cost pressures stemming from the Middle East conflict. Elsewhere, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said the government would encourage domestic pension funds to increase their holdings of Japanese financial assets. Technology stocks led the advance, with strong gains from SoftBank Group (10.7%), Murata Manufacturing (4.1%), Tokyo Electron (2.7%), Advantest (2.3%) and Ibiden Co (4%).

The Nikkei 225 Index went up by 1126 points or 1.68 percent on Thursday to close at 67945 points. The rise was led by Advantest (6.06%), Tokyo Electron (5.33%) and Screen Holdings (5.15%).