Tokyo: Stocks close higher with eyes on Ukraine

[TOKYO] Tokyo stocks closed higher on Monday (Mar 14), helped by rising US futures after sharp drops in the previous session, while investors remained cautious over the Ukraine crisis.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index climbed 0.58 per cent, or 145.07 points, to end at 25,307.85, while the broader Topix index rose 0.71 per cent, or 12.74 points, to 1,812.28.

"The Nikkei index rebounded despite falls of the 3 major US indexes last week," Okasan Online Securities said.

"A wide range of shares were bought and the market reacted positively to rising US futures."

Investors were also watching Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as representatives from both countries were set to hold a new round of online talks on Monday.

The dollar fetched 117.79 yen in Asian trade, up from 117.26 yen in New York late Friday.

In Tokyo trading, automakers were higher, with Toyota soaring 2.87 per cent to 1,914 yen, Nissan rising 2.04 per cent to 464.8 yen and Honda climbing 1.05 per cent to 3,148 yen.

Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest jumped 2.2 per cent to 8,330 yen, while chipmaking equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron gained 1.3 per cent to 53,470 yen.

Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing lost 1.41 per cent to 57,930 yen while SoftBank Group slid 0.73 per cent to 4,450 yen. Sony fell 1.21 per cent to 11,380 yen. AFP