Japanese Stocks: Index and Points

japanese stocks: It added 88.69 points on Wednesday. ; The Topix index of all first-section issues was up 2.76 points, or 0.18 percent, at 1,577.85, following a gain of 6.27 points, according to The Japan Times. Tech stocks such as semiconductor-related issues and makers of electronic parts rose further after the U.S. tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index and SOX Philadelphia semiconductor index closed at their all-time highs on Wednesday, brokers said. The 225-issue Nikkei rose 46.98 points, or 0.22 percent, to end at 21,756.55, a level unseen since May 7. But Japanese stocks cut their initial gains toward the close. For the Nikkei to go further and break the 22,000 line, the index will need fresh positive factors such as the yen's further fall or surprisingly positive earnings, an official of an online securities firm said. Investors refrained from active trading ahead of earnings releases from a host of major firms, as well as monetary policy meetings at the European Central Bank later on Thursday and at the U.S. Federal Reserve next week, said Ryuta Otsuka, strategist at the investment information department of Toyo Securities Co. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.