The Nikkei 225 jumped 1.8% to close at 40,281 on Friday, marking a second straight day of gains and hitting its highest since mid-October, with most sectors contributing to the rally. The broader Topix index rose 1.3% to close at 2,802, as a weaker yen boosted exporters and fueled broad gains. Meanwhile, BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda reiterated the need to monitor economic risks but refrained from providing clear guidance on future interest rate hikes.
On the data front, Japan's retail sales grew the most in three months in November, while industrial output fell less than expected. However, a decline in U.S. futures capped further gains, following a quiet post-holiday session on Wall Street on Thursday. Toyota Motor rose for a third session after signaling plans to double its return on equity target to 20% by around 2030. Other companies that advanced included Nidec Corp. (4.3%), Advantest Corp. (3.7%), Murata Manufacturing (3.2%) and TDK Corp. (2.9%). For the week, the Nikkei and Topix rose 3.5% and 3.67%, respectively.
Source: Trading Economics
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