Japan's stock market ended the trading day in positive territory on Wednesday, with the Nikkei 225 rising 1.51% at the close in Tokyo. Several industry groups, led by Real Estate, Banking and Textile stocks, contributed to the overall uptick.
Top performers
- Resonac Holdings Corp (TYO:4004) was the session's strongest mover on the Nikkei 225, climbing 10.42% or 1,125.00 points to finish at 11,925.00.
- Nintendo Co Ltd (TYO:7974) added 8.90% or 812.00 points to close at 9,932.00.
- Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (TYO:5801) gained 8.36% or 2,295.00 points, ending the day at 29,750.00.
Lagging names
- Olympus Corp. (TYO:7733) was among the weakest on the index, falling 4.97% or 70.50 points to close at 1,349.00.
- NEC Corp. (TYO:6701) declined 4.20% or 189.00 points to finish at 4,311.00.
- Shift Inc (TYO:3697) dropped 3.83% or 27.40 points, closing at 688.10.
Market breadth on the Tokyo Stock Exchange favored advancing issues by a wide margin, with 2,393 stocks rising versus 1,179 that fell, while 244 finished unchanged.
Shares of Olympus Corp. (TYO:7733) reached a five-year low during the session, falling to 1,349.00, a decline of 4.97% or 70.50 points at the close.
Volatility and commodities
The Nikkei Volatility index, which reflects implied volatility for Nikkei 225 options, eased sharply, falling 42.89% to 32.55.
In commodity markets, April crude oil was unchanged, holding at $83.45 a barrel. Brent oil for May delivery slipped 0.62% or $0.54 to $87.26 a barrel. April Gold Futures traded lower by 0.72% or $37.84, at $5,204.26 a troy ounce.
Foreign exchange and broader measures
FX moves were modest: USD/JPY retreated 0.04% to 157.99 while EUR/JPY rose 0.15% to 183.79. The US Dollar Index Futures ticked down 0.06% to 98.75.
Overall, Wednesday's session was marked by sector-led advances that pushed the Nikkei higher, accompanied by a notable drop in implied volatility and mixed moves in commodities and currency markets.