Tokyo stocks gain moderately

Tokyo, Feb 23 (AFP/APP):Tokyo stocks rose moderately on Friday, with investor sentiment propped up by a rebound on Wall Street as the market regained stability. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained 0.72 percent or 156.34 points to close at 21,892.78. Over the week, it rose 0.79 percent.

The broader Topix index was up 0.82 percent, or 14.36 points, at 1,760.53, leaving it up 1.33 percent over the week. “The market is settling, which boosted buying sentiment,” said Hikaru Sato, senior technical analyst at Daiwa Securities. “But it may take more time to see full recovery as trading of large capital stocks is still stagnant,” Sato said.

Tokyo shares opened higher after Wall Street stocks finished mostly higher, with worries about increased interest rates ebbing somewhat. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led the major indices, jumping 0.7 percent. “US stocks were stronger, which provided support to the Tokyo market,” said Makoto Sengoku, market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Centre.