The index closed near its highest level in 6 weeks
Japan’s Nikkei index rose today, Thursday, reversing losses in the previous day, as retail stocks jumped, supported by an increase in foreign visitors, and semiconductor manufacturing stocks recovered after falling early in the session.
The Nikkei index rose 0.18% to 28,657.57 points, to close near the highest level during the day, after it started the session on the decline, and also closed near its highest level in 6 weeks, which it recorded on Tuesday, at 28,698.22 points.
The broader Topix index almost took an upward trend and escaped the decline, but it closed down 0.03% to 2039.73 points.
Shares of Tokyo Electron, a giant chip maker, rose 1.75% and Advantest, a maker of chip testing equipment, rose 2.2%, each recording gains of 27 points and occupying the second and third places, respectively, among the stocks supporting the Nikkei index. The two companies had started the day’s trading on a decline in reflection of the performance of similar companies in the United States.
Fast Retailing Co., operator of Uniglu clothing stores, led the gains on the index, rising 46 points, up 1.4%.
The industrial, banking and insurance sectors were also among the best performers on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, as the index of each sector rose by 0.4%.
The shares of 128 companies rose on the Nikkei index, while the shares of 88 companies declined, with the shares of nine companies remaining unchanged.
