TOKYO, Jan 24 (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei share average closed at a more than one-month high on Tuesday, recovering all its losses since the Bank of Japan’s surprise policy tweak last month, with technology shares tracking Wall Street’s strength to lead the charge. .
The Nikkei index rose 1.46% to close at 27,299.19, its highest close since Dec. 16.
The BOJ’s surprise policy tweak on Dec. 20 to widen the trading band for the 10-year government bond yield had pushed the index lower.
But the Nikkei has been on an upward trend since the central bank kept its ultra-loose policy unchanged at its policy meeting last week. It has gained 4.62% so far this month and is set to post its biggest monthly gain since October.
The broader Topix rose 1.42% to end at 1,972.91.
“The Nikkei index has returned to the level where it was and that was it,” said Chihiro Ohta, assistant general manager at SMBC Nikko Securities’ investment research and investor services.
“With a series of earnings announcements for domestic firms starting from today, we are not sure what will happen to the market going forward. The earnings will have to be strong to keep this momentum.”
Wall Street closed sharply higher overnight, fueled by surging technology stocks as investors began an earnings-heavy week with a renewed enthusiasm for market-leading momentum stocks that were battered last year.
In Japan, chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron rose 2.04% to lift the Nikkei the most. Its peer Advantest jumped 3.11%.
Technology investor SoftBank Group rose 3.39% and air-conditioning maker Daikin Industries gained 2.07%.
GS Yuasa Corp jumped 3.77% after the battery maker said it will collaborate with Honda Motor in the high-capacity, high-output lithium-ion battery business, with plans to establish a joint venture by the end of this year.
Honda gained 1.16%. (Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Savio D’Souza and Rashmi Aich)