The Nikkei average started the afternoon session up ¥232.32. Stocks including Mitsui & Co. and Lasertec rose, while oil and coal products, wholesale trade and marine transportation ranked among the top-performing sectors.
The Nikkei average opened the afternoon session at ¥64,557.96, up ¥232.32 from the previous day, extending its gains from the morning close. Nikkei 225 futures traded firm within a range during the lunch break, while USD/JPY moved around ¥157.70–¥157.80.
By sector, oil and coal products, wholesale trade and marine transportation posted the largest gains, while mining, non-ferrous metals and precision instruments recorded the steepest declines. Among the stocks with the highest trading values, Mitsubishi Corp., Orix, Mitsui & Co., Lasertec, Renesas, Nippon Steel, Resona Holdings, SUMCO, Sumitomo Metal Mining and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries traded at high levels.
Meanwhile, Fast Retailing, INPEX, Ibiden, JX Advanced Metals, Furukawa Electric, Fujikura, Sumitomo Electric Industries, HOYA, Disco and NTT declined. Overall in the afternoon session, buying was seen taking the lead at times, although investor sentiment remained cautious.