Feb 22 2024: Japanese stocks witnessed a significant surge during Thursday’s trading session, as the Nikkei 225 index soared by 2.13%, reaching an unprecedented all-time high. This remarkable rally was primarily driven by substantial gains in the Transportation Equipment, Rubber, and Paper & Pulp sectors.
Notable performers on the Nikkei 225 included Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (TYO:7003), which surged by an impressive 26.22%, or 300.00 points, closing at 1,444.00. Similarly, Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (TYO:7735) saw a remarkable increase of 10.16%, or 1,835.00 points, finishing the session at 19,895.00, while Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857) rose by 7.49%, or 494.00 points, reaching 7,088.00 in late trading.
On the other hand, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TYO:4519) experienced a decline of 4.11%, or 242.00 points, closing at 5,648.00, marking one of the session’s notable downturns. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd (TYO:4506) also saw a decrease of 2.51%, or 9.00 points, ending at 349.00, while CyberAgent Inc (TYO:4751) dropped by 2.33%, or 24.50 points, closing at 1,029.00.
Overall, advancing stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with 2104 stocks advancing, 1541 declining, and 247 remaining unchanged.
During the session, several stocks achieved significant milestones. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (TYO:7003) reached a 5-year high, while both Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (TYO:7735) and Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857) reached all-time highs.
The Nikkei Volatility index, measuring the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, rose by 5.66% to 20.55.
In commodities trading, crude oil for April delivery increased by 0.36% to $78.19 a barrel, while Brent oil for April delivery rose by 0.33% to $83.30 a barrel. Meanwhile, the April Gold Futures contract rose by 0.28% to $2,039.90 a troy ounce.
In the currency market, USD/JPY showed a slight decrease of 0.04% to 150.22, while EUR/JPY rose by 0.11% to 162.80.
The US Dollar Index Futures declined by 0.14% to 103.77.