Investing.com – Japan stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Chemical, Petroleum & Plastic, Mining and Food sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 1.42% to hit a new 1-month high.
The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Denki Kagaku Kogyo K.K. (T:4061), which rose 4.38% or 165.0 points to trade at 3935.0 at the close. Meanwhile, Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. (T:5301) added 4.20% or 57.0 points to end at 1413.0 and Ebara Corp. (T:6361) was up 4.15% or 165.0 points to 4145.0 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Astellas Pharma Inc. (T:4503), which fell 1.14% or 18.3 points to trade at 1581.0 at the close. Honda Motor Co Ltd (T:7267) declined 1.06% or 40.0 points to end at 3717.0 and Shinsei Bank, Ltd. (T:8303) was down 0.82% or 13.5 points to 1625.5.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 2775 to 601 and 176 ended unchanged.
The Nikkei Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, was down 5.80% to 16.88 a new 1-month low.
Crude oil for May delivery was up 1.01% or 0.67 to $67.19 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in June rose 0.89% or 0.64 to hit $72.22 a barrel, while the June Gold Futures contract fell 0.10% or 1.40 to trade at $1348.10 a troy ounce.
USD/JPY was up 0.25% to 107.28, while EUR/JPY rose 0.22% to 132.68.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.16% at 89.36.