Tokyo: Nikkei rises before US jobs data, Fast Retailing shines on solid sales

[TOKYO] Japanese stocks rose on Friday in thin trade, supported by gains on Wall Street and a sharp jump in index-heavy Fast Retailing after the clothing retailer posted strong monthly sales.

The Nikkei advanced 0.5 per cent to end at 16,642.23. For the week, the benchmark index dropped 1.1 per cent.

Trading was subdued before the outcome of the US jobs report later in the day as investors continue to assess the prospects of the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates at its June 14-15 meeting.

Turnover on the broader market stood at 1.77 trillion yen, lower than the 2 trillion mark, which is seen fairly active.

The broader Topix added 0.4 per cent to 1,337.23 and the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 advanced 0.4 per cent to 12,047.90.

REUTERS