Nikkei hits 14-month high as yen weakens and Wall Street soars

[TOKYO] Japan's Nikkei share average hit a 14-month peak on Thursday as the yen weakened against the US dollar on heightened expectations for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month and after Wall Street soared to record highs.

The Nikkei closed 0.9 per cent higher at 19,564.80 after brushing 19,668.01, its highest since December 2015.

Of Tokyo's 33 subsectors, 28 gained, with financial stocks lifted by a rise in US Treasury yields and exporters supported by the yen's depreciation.

The broader Topix gained 0.75 per cent to 1,564.69 and the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 rose 0.76 per cent to 14,023.74.

REUTERS