Market Gauge: Points and Mainstay Issues

market gauge: On Thursday, the key market gauge advanced 61.46 points, marking its highest finish since Dec. 1, 2015, according to The Japan Times. The Topix index of all first-section issues ended down 6.15 points, or 0.39 percent, to finish at 1,580.71, after gaining 1.67 points the previous day. The 225-issue Nikkei average lost 77.65 points, or 0.39 percent, to close at 19,883.90. Stocks got off to a slightly weaker start due to profit-taking prompted by weaker U.S. equities overnight and the dollar's fallback below 114, brokers said. The market resisted further falls in the afternoon but remained in negative territory for the rest of the day, with a wide range of issues suffering losses. Weighed down by losses in mainstay issues, such as automakers, electronics producers and banks, the Nikkei average briefly retreated more than 150 points late in the morning session. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.