Japan’s stock market closed on a positive note on Friday, driven by notable gains in the Precision Instruments, Finance & Investment, and Retail sectors.
At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index advanced by 0.49%.
Among the top performers on the Nikkei 225 were Konami Corp. (TYO:9766), which surged by 9.27% or 873.00 points to reach 10,290.00 at the close. Mercari Inc (TYO:4385) also demonstrated strong performance, rising by 9.10% or 160.00 points to conclude at 1,918.00, while SUMCO Corp. (TYO:3436) saw an 8.36% increase, adding 200.00 points to reach 2,591.00 in late trade.
Conversely, notable decliners during the session included Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (TYO:7735), which saw a decline of 12.24% or 2,155.00 points, closing at 15,445.00. Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. (TYO:5301) fell by 7.17% or 75.00 points, concluding at 971.00, while Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) experienced a 5.17% decrease, dropping by 58.50 points to 1,074.00.
On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones, with 1923 declining, 1704 advancing, and 249 ending unchanged.
The Nikkei Volatility index, which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, witnessed a 3.57% decrease to 19.20, marking a new 1-month low.
In commodity markets, crude oil for June delivery rose by 0.81% or 0.64 to $79.90 per barrel. Meanwhile, Brent oil for July delivery increased by 0.70% or 0.59 to reach $84.47 per barrel. Additionally, the June Gold Futures contract saw a rise of 1.25% or 29.25, trading at $2,369.55 per troy ounce.
Currency-wise, USD/JPY experienced a 0.09% increase to 155.60, while EUR/JPY rose by 0.04% to 167.70.
The US Dollar Index Futures recorded a 0.02% increase, reaching 105.13.