Japan stocks higher at close of trade; Nikkei 225 up 0.84%

Investing.com – Japan stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the , and sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Tokyo, the rose 0.84% to hit a new 52-week high.

The best performers of the session on the were SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:), which rose 4.82% or 241.00 points to trade at 5,240.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (TYO:) added 3.62% or 440.00 points to end at 12,580.00 and Advantest Corp. (TYO:) was up 3.51% or 450.00 points to 13,260.00 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd (TYO:), which fell 5.22% or 39.00 points to trade at 708.00 at the close. Yaskawa Electric Corp. (TYO:) declined 4.19% or 240.00 points to end at 5,490.00 and Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd. (TYO:) was down 3.89% or 26.00 points to 643.00.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 2004 to 1617 and 231 ended unchanged.

Shares in Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd (TYO:) fell to 5-year lows; falling 5.22% or 39.00 to 708.00. Shares in Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (TYO:) rose to 52-week highs; rising 3.62% or 440.00 to 12,580.00. Shares in Advantest Corp. (TYO:) rose to 5-year highs; rising 3.51% or 450.00 to 13,260.00.

The , which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, was up 7.15% to 17.24 a new 1-month high.

Crude oil for June delivery was down 1.06% or 0.75 to $70.11 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in July fell 0.99% or 0.74 to hit $74.17 a barrel, while the June Gold Futures contract fell 0.00% or 0.05 to trade at $1,992.95 a troy ounce.

USD/JPY was up 0.35% to 136.85, while EUR/JPY rose 0.18% to 148.42.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.26% at 102.68.