Japan's stock market finished the trading day higher on Wednesday, led by advances within the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors that pushed the Nikkei 225 to a fresh intraday closing record.
At the Tokyo close the Nikkei 225 rose 2.61% to register a new all-time high. The session featured several pronounced individual moves: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (TYO:7735) jumped 17.94%, Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TYO:8035) gained 13.39% and Nikon Corp. (TYO:7731) climbed 9.79%.
Top and bottom performers
- Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (TYO:7735) - up 17.94%, closing at 13,345.00. The stock rose to an all-time high at the close.
- Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TYO:8035) - up 13.39%, closing at 60,900.00. The stock also reached an all-time high at the close.
- Nikon Corp. (TYO:7731) - up 9.79%, ending the session at 2,002.00.
- Shift Inc (TYO:3697) - down 12.21%, closing at 694.70.
- Toho Co., Ltd. (TYO:9602) - down 4.13%, ending at 1,218.00.
- IHI Corp. (TYO:7013) - down 3.94%, closing at 2,486.50.
Market breadth and volatility
Rising issues outnumbered decliners on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 1,960 to 1,581, with 227 stocks unchanged at the close. The Nikkei Volatility - a gauge of implied volatility for Nikkei 225 options - increased 18.01% to 33.68, signaling a notable rise in option-implied swings.
Commodities and external markets
Energy and precious metals markets moved alongside the equity gains. Crude oil for July delivery rose 2.25% or 2.11 to settle at $95.87 a barrel. Brent crude for August delivery gained 2.05% or 1.97 to $97.97 a barrel. In contrast, the August Gold Futures contract fell 0.63% or 28.53 to trade at $4,491.37 a troy ounce.
Currencies and futures
The USD/JPY exchange rate was up 0.05% to 159.98, while EUR/JPY fell 0.06% to 185.84. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.13% to 99.31.
Wednesday's session combined broad sector-level strength and sharp individual stock moves with higher implied volatility and mixed commodity signals. The market closed with the headline index at a new record level, though the increase in the Nikkei Volatility and several notable declines among individual names add elements for market participants to watch heading into subsequent sessions.