Nikkei Index rises 0.6% driven by financial and electronics stocks

Glonghui, January 29｜Japan's Nikkei Index rose 0.6% to close at 53,698.24 points, with gains in financial and electronics stocks helping to offset declines in retail and technology stocks. Japan Post Bank rose 3.3%, Kioxia gained 6.0%, while Aeon Co. fell 3.2% and Recruit Holdings dropped 3.3%. The broader TOPIX index fell 0.4% to 3,521.08 points. The USD/JPY exchange rate stood at 153.08 yen, compared to 152.62 yen at Wednesday's close in the Tokyo stock market. Investors are closely watching corporate earnings, with Takeda Pharmaceutical, Fujitsu, and Canon scheduled to release their results later today. Ahead of the early February election, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's economic plan is also drawing significant attention.