Tokyo equities ended the trading day higher on Friday, with the Nikkei 225 registering a 0.63% gain at the close. Sector-level strength was concentrated in Real Estate, Banking and Textile names, which helped push the benchmark upward.
Top movers on the Nikkei 225
The session's strongest performer on the Nikkei 225 was Rohm Ltd (TYO:6963), which climbed 18.23% - a rise of 500.00 points - to finish at 3,243.00. Rohm also recorded a 52-week high in the session. Other notable risers included Nomura Research Institute Ltd (TYO:4307), up 6.14% or 254.00 points to 4,391.00, and Tokuyama Corp. (TYO:4043), which gained 5.74% or 224.00 points to close at 4,129.00.
Lagging issues
On the downside, Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (TYO:6504) registered the largest decline on the Nikkei 225, falling 6.06% or 735.00 points to end the session at 11,400.00. Fujikura Ltd. (TYO:5803) dropped 4.64% or 1,220.00 points to 25,100.00, while Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co. (TYO:5706) slipped 4.18% or 1,430.00 points to 32,740.00.
Market breadth and volatility
Advancers outpaced decliners on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with 1,902 stocks rising compared with 1,704 falling; 206 issues finished unchanged. The Nikkei Volatility index, which measures implied volatility for Nikkei 225 options, declined 39.55% to 32.07, indicating a notable drop in option-implied swings during the session.
Commodities and FX snapshot
In commodities trading, crude oil for April delivery eased 0.38% or 0.31 to $80.70 a barrel. Brent oil for May delivery fell 0.18% or 0.15 to $85.26 a barrel. April gold futures advanced 0.89% or 45.11 to trade at 5,123.81 a troy ounce.
On currency markets, USD/JPY strengthened 0.13% to 157.74, while EUR/JPY moved up 0.11% to 183.16. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.32% at 99.00.
Takeaway
Friday's session closed with a modestly positive tone as specific sectors and individual stocks drove the Nikkei 225 higher, volatility indicators eased and commodity prices saw mixed direction.