In a day marked by notable gains in the Mining, Paper & Pulp, and Steel sectors, Japan’s stock market closed on a positive note on Wednesday. The Nikkei 225 index showed a gain of 0.60% at the end of the trading day, reflecting the strong performance of key players in these sectors.
The top-performing companies on the Nikkei 225 included IHI Corp. (TYO:7013), which surged by 4.61%, adding 126.50 points to reach a closing price of 2,871.50. Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (TYO:7735) also displayed significant strength, with a 3.43% increase, or 248.00 points, closing at 7,488.00. Meanwhile, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TYO:7012) secured a gain of 2.94%, rising by 97.00 points to reach 3,399.00 by the close of the trading session.
Conversely, some companies faced declines during the day. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (TYO:7211) saw a decrease of 2.12%, losing 11.10 points to finish at 511.30. Isuzu Motors, Ltd. (TYO:7202) experienced a decline of 1.56%, down by 27.50 points to a closing price of 1,740.50. Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (TYO:5801) faced a 1.52% dip, losing 35.00 points to conclude at 2,274.00.
Throughout the trading day, the Tokyo Stock Exchange witnessed a higher number of rising stocks compared to falling ones. The tally stood at 2252 stocks on the rise, 1394 stocks in decline, and 229 remaining unchanged.
Investor sentiment, as measured by the Nikkei Volatility, increased by 3.25%, reaching 23.20—a new six-month high. In the commodities market, crude oil for December delivery rose by 0.17%, amounting to an increase of 0.14, resulting in a price of $83.88 per barrel. Additionally, Brent oil for delivery in December experienced a 0.27% increase, gaining 0.24 to achieve a closing price of $88.31 per barrel. However, the December Gold Futures contract fell by 0.10%, equating to a loss of 1.95, concluding at $1,984.15 per troy ounce.
In the foreign exchange market, USD/JPY showed a slight decrease of 0.01%, closing at 149.90, while EUR/JPY displayed a modest 0.03% gain, reaching a closing rate of 158.80. The US Dollar Index Futures saw a minor uptick of 0.02%, closing at 106.10.
This bullish performance in Japan’s stock market reflects the strength in the Mining, Paper & Pulp, and Steel sectors, driving the Nikkei 225 index to close on a positive note.
