[Stocks to Watch] Nikkei Average up as much as ¥700: 80% of Prime Market stocks rise, some semiconductor stocks soft

The Nikkei Average opened higher on the 17th, with buying leading the market and pushing it sharply above the previous day's close. The market reacted to information released by the Federal Reserve Board on the 16th, and the index rose as much as ¥720.58 during the day, at one point recovering to the ¥65,000 range.

There were also reports that approximately 80% of Prime Market stocks had risen, suggesting that buying had spread across the equity market as a whole. Individual stocks, however, performed differently, and some semiconductor stocks were reported to have remained soft by sector.