Index and Points

u.s: On Monday, the key market gauge climbed 44.50 points. ; The Topix, which covers all first-section issues, ended 10.84 points, or 0.65 percent, higher at 1,684.46 after shedding 1.13 points the previous day, according to The Japan Times. Tokyo stocks were firmer after U.S. equities extended gains Monday, inspired in particular by the U.S. Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing activity index for September, which surged to a 13-year high of 60.8, brokers said. The Nikkei rose 213.29 points, or 1.05 percent, to close at 20,614.07, the highest closing level since Aug. 17, 2015. All three major U.S. stock indexes the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 index and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index hit closing highs. The ISM index contributed significantly to the rise in Tokyo stocks, while the firmness of Japan's real economy, shown in the Bank of Japan's tankan survey, was also a factor, said Hiroaki Hiwada, strategist at Toyo Securities Co. The Tokyo Stock Exchange gathered steam further after the dollar climbed above 113, brokers said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.