Tokyo: Nikkei closes up more than 1.3%

[TOKYO] Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index advanced more than 1.3 per cent on Tuesday after US and European markets bounced back on optimism over post-lockdown economic activity.

The Nikkei 225 index rose 1.33 per cent or 293.10 points to close at 22,288.14 while the broader Topix index was up 0.62 per cent or 9.55 points at 1,558.77.

"Investors bought on dips following sizable declines the previous day," Toshikazu Horiuchi, a broker at IwaiCosmo Securities, told AFP.

Sentiment was also supported by gains in US and European stocks on Monday as optimism over easing lockdowns outweighed fears of surging coronavirus infections.

"We expected that virus infection cases would rise again after lockdowns are lifted," said Makoto Sengoku, market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Institute.

"The view that the (global) economy will stay on a gradual recovery path still holds - unless we see drastic spikes in deaths or critically ill patients," he told AFP, adding markets had fallen too much recently on excessive pessimism.

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But it was unknown whether stocks would keep up their run with key economic indicators coming up later this week such as the June US payrolls report on Thursday.

"Since expectations are high, markets are prone to disappointment," Mr Sengoku said.

Investors shrugged off weak economic data released from Japan early Tuesday, including rising unemployment and poor factory production for May.

"The negative figures were all factored in," Mr Horiuchi said.

In individual stocks trade, telecoms and investment giant SoftBank Group rallied 1.30 per cent to 5,450 yen while Uniqlo casual wear operator Fast Retailing gained 1.74 per cent to 61,700 yen.

NTT rose 0.47 per cent to 2,515.5 yen after the Nikkei business daily reported the telecom group would enter the renewable energy market.

The group will invest more than 1 trillion yen (S$12.96 billion) by 2030 to boost capacity and establish its own transmission network, the daily said.

Nissan gained 1.14 per cent to 399.2 yen and Toyota edged up 0.04 per cent to 6,762 yen.

The dollar was trading at 107.76 yen in Asian afternoon trade compared with 107.56 yen in New York Monday afternoon.

AFP