TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo stocks opened higher on Monday on the back of gains on Wall Street and with hundreds of Japanese firms reporting earnings this week, including Nintendo and Sony.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.35 percent, or 76.02 points, to 22,084.47 in early trade, while the broader Topix index was little changed, inching up 1.22 points to 1,772.27.
“The Japanese market will likely remain solid this week as there is a rising risk-on mood globally,” Okasan Online Securities said, as it pointed to upbeat corporate results.
The Nikkei has risen to its best level in 21 years as it rides a global equities rally.
In New York on Friday, the tech-heavy Nasdaq and broad-based S&P 500 powered to fresh records following blowout earnings from Amazon and other tech giants and a bullish update from Apple on its latest smartphone.
In Tokyo trade, tech giant SoftBank rose 1.65 percent to 10,465 yen.
Bank Mizuho Financial rose 0.57 percent to 210 yen after weekend reports that it is planning to shed 19,000 jobs, or nearly one-third of its workforce, over the coming decade.
The bank declined to comment on the reports.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial fell 0.64 percent to 785.8 yen and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial was down 0.23 percent to sit at 4,608 yen despite reports that they were also looking to trim their operations.
In forex markets, the dollar fetched 113.73 yen against 113.67 yen in New York.
© Agence France-Presse
