Key Points
- Nikkei 225 rose 1.21%, reaching a one-month high, propelled by gains in the Precision Instruments, Steel, and Electrical/Machinery sectors.
- Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857), DeNA Co. Ltd. (TYO:2432), and Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. (TYO:9502) were among the top performers.
- SUMCO Corp. (TYO:3436), Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (TYO:7201), and Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd. (TYO:6976) were among the worst performers.
- Market breadth was positive, with 2,010 stocks advancing versus 1,557 declining. The Nikkei Volatility Index fell 1.91% to 21.97.
Japanese stocks climbed on Thursday, with the Nikkei 225 index rising 1.21% or 476.91 to 39,849.14, closing at a new one-month high. Gains were propelled by robust performances in the Precision Instruments, Steel, and Electrical/Machinery sectors, which dominated the session’s advances.
Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857) emerged as the top performer, soaring 5.10% or 430.00 points to end at 8,865.00. DeNA Co. Ltd. (TYO:2432) followed closely, adding 5.04% or 123.50 points to reach 2,573.50, marking the company’s five-year high. Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. (TYO:9502) also posted a strong performance, rising 4.54% or 70.50 points to close at 1,624.00.
Conversely, some stocks underperformed, with SUMCO Corp. (TYO:3436) losing 2.56% or 31.00 points to finish at 1,180.00. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (TYO:7201) slipped 2.16% or 7.90 points to end at 357.00, while Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd. (TYO:6976) fell 1.93% or 42.50 points to close at 2,158.00.
Overall, advancing stocks outpaced declining ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with 2,010 rising issues compared to 1,557 decliners, while 311 stocks remained unchanged. Strong performances in key sectors and improved investor confidence bolstered market sentiment. The Nikkei Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, fell 1.91% or 0.43 to 21.97, signaling reduced market uncertainty.
In commodities, crude oil for January delivery edged up 0.10% or 0.07 to settle at $70.36 a barrel. Brent oil for February delivery gained 0.20% or 0.15 to reach $73.67 a barrel, reflecting stability in global energy markets. Meanwhile, February gold futures fell 0.18% or 4.84 to trade at $2,751.86 per troy ounce.
In currency markets, USD/JPY remained unchanged at 152.45, while EUR/JPY advanced by 0.21% to 160.36. The US Dollar Index Futures dipped 0.22% to 106.16, indicating a slight weakness in the greenback.
