Japanese Shares Rise On Trade Optimism
The Nikkei 225 jumped 1.56% to close at 37,503, while the broader Topix index gained 1.29% to 2,733 on Friday, with both benchmarks hitting six-week highs amid renewed global trade optimism. The rally followed news that U.S. President Donald Trump had announced a preliminary trade deal with Britain, the first since the U.S. imposed sweeping tariffs last month. Trump also hinted at the possibility of more deals and potential easing of tariffs on China, depending on the outcome of high-level talks due to take place in Switzerland later this week. On the domestic front, sentiment was lifted by data showing stronger-than-expected personal spending in March, a sign of resilient consumer demand. However, continued weakness in real wages, which fell for a third straight month, dampened enthusiasm and raised concerns about the broader economic outlook. Top gainers included Fast Retailing (+2.7%), IHI Corp (+2%) and Toyota (+1.8%). For the week, the Nikkei rose 1.8%, while the Topix gained 1.7%. (Newsmaker23)
Source: Trading Economics
