Friday: Points and u.s

friday: On Friday, the key market gauge rose 98.84 points. ; The Topix index of all first-section issues closed up 3.13 points, or 0.20 percent, at 1,600.12, after gaining 4.79 points the previous trading day, according to The Japan Times. The Nikkei got off to a firmer start, with investors taking heart to see the U.S. Dow Jones industrial average rise on Friday, market sources said. The 225-issue Nikkei shed 2.71 points, or 0.01 percent, to end at 19,449.90. The Dow's strength came as expectations for an early interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve receded after Fed Chair Janet Yellen made no reference to the U.S. central bank's monetary policy in her closely watched speech Friday at an annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The index drifted without a clear direction in the afternoon amid a dearth of fresh incentives, brokers said. However, the Nikkei soon slipped into minus territory and finished the Monday morning session slightly lower. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.