Investing.com – Japan stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Machinery, Shipbuilding and Chemical sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.88% to hit a new 1-month high.
The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. (T:5301), which rose 5.61% or 27.0 points to trade at 508.0 at the close. Meanwhile, Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co. (T:5706) added 5.20% or 20.0 points to end at 404.5 and Toho Zinc Co., Ltd. (T:5707) was up 4.25% or 25.0 points to 613.0 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Showa Denko K.K. (T:4004), which fell 7.11% or 144.0 points to trade at 1880.0 at the close. Rakuten Inc (T:4755) declined 2.19% or 24.5 points to end at 1094.5 and Mazda Motor Corp. (T:7261) was down 1.33% or 22.0 points to 1627.5.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 2144 to 864 and 352 ended unchanged.
Shares in Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. (T:5301) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 5.61% or 27.0 to 508.0. Shares in Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co. (T:5706) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 5.20% or 20.0 to 404.5.
The Nikkei Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, was down 4.61% to 17.81.
Crude oil for April delivery was down 0.26% or 0.14 to $53.69 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in May fell 0.11% or 0.06 to hit $56.30 a barrel, while the April Gold Futures contract fell 0.28% or 3.55 to trade at $1246.45 a troy ounce.
USD/JPY was up 0.33% to 114.11, while EUR/JPY rose 0.23% to 120.23.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.13% at 101.87.