Japanese equities advanced, with banking shares leading the way as rising bond yields boosted the sector while investors snapped up stocks to qualify for dividend payments.
The Topix rose 1.2% to 4,123.03, and the Nikkei gained 1% to 66,186.75.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group contributed the most to the Topix's advance, climbing 2.9%. Among the index's 1,635 constituents, 1,185 rose, 385 fell, and 65 were unchanged.
"The broader environment of higher global and Japanese yields in recent weeks remains positive for the financial sector from a net interest margin perspective," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.
About 70% of Topix constituents closed higher, led by banks and some artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related names, while SoftBank Group and non-ferrous metals lagged.
"The fundamentals of the economy and corporate earnings are solid, and the upward trend is largely intact," said Naoki Fujiwara, senior fund manager at Shinkin Asset Management. He said investors bought tech and bank stocks on dips, noting that bank shares had weakened at one point following the Bank of Japan's policy decision last week.
September 28 is the last day to register for interim dividend rights for companies whose fiscal year ends in March. Fujiwara added that buying to capture dividends is supporting value stocks.
Of the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33 industry indexes, 30 closed higher, with the Topix Banks Index performing best and the Topix Information & Communication Index falling the most.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 0.2%. The Topix 100 has gained 22% year to date, matching the 22% rise in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index. The forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio for Topix 100 constituents stands at 17.1 times.
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