Tokyo shares close higher on strong U.S. stocks, rate hike expectation

Tokyo shares closed higher Friday, with the Nikkei index briefly hitting the 18,000 line, on strong U.S. stocks overnight and rising expectations of a near-term U.S. rate hike.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 104.78 points, or 0.59 percent, from Thursday at 17,967.41, a roughly 10-month-high.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 5.38 points, or 0.38 percent, higher at 1,428.46.

Gainers were led by marine transportation, transportation equipment, and glass and ceramic product issues.

The day's turnover was around 2,724.1 billion yen (24.64 billion U.S. dollars). Endit