Daily Times

Tokyo shares closed higher on Friday, boosted by gains of tech stocks after Wall Street rallied. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained 1.18 percent, or 326.58 points, to end at 27,901.01, while the broader Topix index rose 1.03 percent, or 20.06 points, to 1,961.56. US stocks climbed higher overnight as tech-related shares jumped and the S&P 500 snapped a five-day losing streak, as equities sought to recover from a slump thus far in December, a typically strong month for trading. The dollar fetched 135.92 yen in Asian trade, against 136.61 yen in New York late Thursday. Analysts said Tokyo shares tracked the buoyant session on Wall Street, even though traders lacked fresh clues. “Asian stocks are a bit higher, but full-out exuberance has been tempered by rising Covid cases and scepticism of the force-of-reopening economic tailwind,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management, said in a note. Tech shares closed higher, with chip-testing equipment maker Advantest soaring 5.78 percent to 9,880 yen. Sony Group gained 2.29 percent to 10,910 yen while Tokyo Electron, which makes tools to build semiconductors, jumped 2.92 percent to 45,700 yen. Chipmaker Murata Manufacturing firmed 2.17 percent to 7,371 yen. Takeda Pharmaceutical advanced 1.79 percent to 4,091 yen after the drugmaker said its dengue fever vaccine had been approved in the European Union.