Tokyo, Aug 4 (AFP\/APP): Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index closed higher on Thursday with investors emboldened by Wall Street gains and a weaker yen.<\/p>\n
The Nikkei 225 climbed 0.69 percent, or 190.30 points, to end at 27,932.20, while the broader Topix index was flat at 1,930.73.<\/p>\n
The dollar fetched 134.15 yen, against 133.92 yen in New York on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Soon after trading opened in Tokyo, a “risk-taking appetite prevailed”, Okasan Online Securities said.<\/p>\n
The market took cues from solid gains on Wall Street, where better-than-expected services industry data helped cheer up investors.<\/p>\n
“It also helped that the foreign exchange market took a rapid shift toward the yen’s depreciation,” Okasan added.<\/p>\n
Toyota plunged 2.99 percent to close at 2,091.5 yen after the auto giant said first-quarter net profit took a hit from pandemic-related supply chain issues, even while predicting an earnings boost from the weaker yen.<\/p>\n
The world’s top-selling automaker now forecasts an annual net profit of 2.36 trillion yen ($17.6 billion) — up from its previous estimate of 2.26 trillion yen.<\/p>\n
But its first-quarter net profit slumped 17.9 percent on-year to 736.8 billion yen.<\/p>\n
Among other major shares, SoftBank Group climbed 2.62 percent to 5,640 yen and Sony Group edged up 0.21 percent to 11,480 yen.<\/p>\n
Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing was up 0.85 percent to 82,510 yen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tokyo, Aug 4 (AFP\/APP): Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index closed higher on Thursday with investors emboldened by Wall Street gains and a weaker yen. The Nikkei 225 climbed 0.69 percent, or 190.30 points, to end at 27,932.20, while the broader Topix index was flat at 1,930.73. […]<\/p>\n
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