Off the wire
• Indian PM launches bank for funding small businesses  • Weather forecast for world cities -- April 8  • 1st LD Writethru: Afghan, NATO soldiers exchange fire, 1 killed  • Feature: The secret way gibbons of Thailand talk to each other revealed  • China Voice: China, Vietnam should transcend disputes, seek cooperation  • Weather forecast for major Chinese cities, regions -- April 8  • 2nd Ld-Writethru-China Focus: Booming stock market a yes vote for China economy  • Gem mine collapse in Sri Lanka leaves 4 dead  • Bulgarian gov't approves deployment of NATO Force Integration Unit  • Vietnam backs out of Belgian satellite deal  
You are here: 　 Home

Roundup: Nikkei gains 0.76 pct to close at 15-year high as BOJ maintains ultra loose policy

Xinhua, April 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Nikkei stock index gained 0.76 percent Wednesday to close at a 15-year high, as the Bank of Japan opted to maintain its accommodative policy, although the yen's rise in later trade capped gains.

The Nikkei 225 stock average added 149.27 points to 19,789.81, to mark its highest closing level since April 2000, while the broader Topix index of all first-section issues added 0.63 percent, or 9.92 points, to finish at 1,588.47.

Local traders said that the central bank holding off on unveiling any fresh stimulus and maintaining its asset purchasing program at an annual rate of 80 trillion yen (665 billion U.S. dollars) was widely expected by the market, although some analysts said the bank would be closely watching the effects of recent wage hikes.

"At this point additional easing isn't necessary, so as expected the Bank of Japan maintained its current policy. Japanese company earnings this fiscal year are estimated to show rising sales and rising profits, and valuations do not seem stretched," said Goya Nakao, a senior investment manager at Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Asset Management Co.

The market drew support from hopes for corporate earnings here, although the U.S. dollar dipping in later trade to 119.81 yen from 120.32 yen logged in New York Tuesday, saw exporters closed mixed.

Among automakers, Honda Motor advanced 0.7 percent to 4,076 yen, while Nissan Motor dropped 1.2 percent to close the day at 1,208 yen.

Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd., maker of Subaru brand cars, reversed 2.2 percent, following USB lowering its rating on the firm's stock from "neutral" to "sell" and Toyota lost ground due to the brokerage's similar downgrade based on its outlook for the automobile market.

Sony closed up 1 percent at 3,525 yen, after saying output of its camera sensors will be increased and Kawasaki Heavy Industries added 2.5 percent to 623 yen on reports of the firm's robust profit outlook.

Oil and energy shares gained as crude prices rallied, and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. jumped 3.2 percent to 4,380 yen and explorer Inpex rose 2.2 percent to end at 1,417 yen.

Trading volume on Wednesday rose to 2.29 billion shares on the Tokyo Exchange's First Section, up from Tuesday's volume of 2.09 billion shares, with advancing issues beating declining ones by 1, 314 to 440. Endi