Japan share market finished session modestly higher on Monday, 20 May 2024, as risk sentiments underpinned on tracking positive lead from Wall Street last Friday due to rising expectations for Fed rate cuts in 2024 and China's stimulus measures announced last week.
However, market gains were limited as some investors locked in profits amid fears of rising borrowing costs after Japan's benchmark bond yield reached its highest level since May 2013.
The yield on Japan's benchmark 10-year government bond briefly rose 0.030 percentage point from Friday's close to 0.975 percent, its highest level in around 11 years, tracking an increase in long-term U.S. Treasury yields last week.
At closing bell, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average index was up 282.30 points, or 0.73%, to 39,069.68. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange added 22.42 points, 0.82%, to 2,768.
Shares of chip material maker Shin-Etsu Chemical ended up 4.2% after announcing Friday a share buyback plan to enhance shareholder returns.
CURRENCY NEWS: Japanese yen moved in the upper 155 zone against greenback amid wariness that interest rate differential between Japan and the United States to remain wide. The Yen fetched 155.67 per greenback compared with 155.71 in Tokyo at 5pm on Friday.