Japanese stocks advanced on Thursday, driven by gains in the Paper & Pulp, Marine Transport, and Gas & Water sectors. The Nikkei 225 index closed 0.67% higher.
Leading the gains on the Nikkei 225 was Mercari Inc (TYO:4385), which surged 7.56%, or 167 points, to settle at 2,377.00. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd (TYO:4506) also saw significant gains, rising 6.71%, or 41 points, to finish at 652.00. IHI Corp. (TYO:7013) climbed 5.90%, or 328 points, to close at 5,891.00.
On the downside, Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (TYO:7735) dropped 2.57%, or 295 points, ending the day at 11,200.00. Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. (TYO:5802) declined 2.27%, or 54 points, to close at 2,323.50, while Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc. (TYO:8354) fell 2.27%, or 89 points, finishing at 3,824.00.
Advancing stocks outnumbered decliners on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with 2,137 stocks rising compared to 1,463 falling. A total of 272 issues ended unchanged.
Notably, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd (TYO:4506) hit a 52-week high, rising 6.71% to 652.00.
The Nikkei Volatility Index, which gauges the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, decreased by 6.47% to 27.61.
In commodities, October crude oil futures were down 0.29%, or $0.21, to $71.72 per barrel. Brent oil for October delivery fell 0.11%, or $0.08, to $75.97 per barrel. December Gold Futures dropped 0.02%, or $0.60, to trade at $2,546.90 per ounce.
In currency markets, USD/JPY was down 0.02% to 145.23, while EUR/JPY decreased 0.03% to 161.90. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.13% to 101.04.
