Investing.com – Japan stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Electrical/Machinery, Trading and Transportation Equipment sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.08%.
The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were The Kansai Electric Power Co. (T:9503), which rose 8.22% or 105.5 points to trade at 1388.5 at the close. Meanwhile, Tokuyama Corp. (T:4043) added 4.97% or 27.0 points to end at 570.0 and IHI Corp. (T:7013) was up 4.83% or 16.5 points to 358.0 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Ube Industries, Ltd. (T:4208), which fell 2.97% or 8.0 points to trade at 261.0 at the close. Sony Financial Holdings Inc. (T:8729) declined 2.87% or 54.0 points to end at 1825.0 and Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (T:3863) was down 2.86% or 61.0 points to 2073.0.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 1745 to 1363 and 244 ended unchanged.
Shares in The Kansai Electric Power Co. (T:9503) rose to 52-week highs; up 8.22% or 105.5 to 1388.5. Shares in IHI Corp. (T:7013) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 4.83% or 16.5 to 358.0.
The Nikkei Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, was down 9.27% to 17.92.
Crude oil for May delivery was up 0.83% or 0.40 to $48.77 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in June rose 0.74% or 0.38 to hit $51.80 a barrel, while the April Gold Futures contract fell 0.44% or 5.55 to trade at $1250.05 a troy ounce.
USD/JPY was down 0.06% to 111.09, while EUR/JPY fell 0.30% to 119.80.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.20% at 99.73.