Tokyo equities markets up on factory output

Data showing that factory output in Japan was up a seasonally-adjusted 1.6 percent in October sent the Tokyo equities markets higher on Wednesday. The Nikkei 225 went back over the 16,000 mark, ending the session 1.4 percent higher to 16,076.20. The Topix index added 1.6 percent to 1,580.10. The best factory performance came in the automobile manufacturing and semiconductors sectors, both of which saw gains on the session.

In the semiconductors sector, Advantest gained 1.5 percent to ¥6,060, while Elpida Memory was 3 percent higher to ¥5,550. Meanwhile among carmakers, Nissan Motor was up 0.7 percent to ¥1,299 and Toyota added 1.5 percent to ¥6,930.

The securities sector also saw gains. Nomura Holdings gained 3.7 percent to ¥1,955, while Daiwa Securities added 4.4 percent to ¥1,288. Banks did well, too, with larger banks seeing bigger gains than smaller ones could manage. Sapporo Hokuyo, based in Hokkaido, was up 0.9 percent to ¥1,110,000, while Bank of Fukuoka, which has its center of operations in Kyushu, gained 1.1 percent to ¥856. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi UFJ was 2.1 percent higher to ¥1,450,000.

The transport sector was up after Credit Suisse hiked target share prices there. Nippon Yusen gained 2.9 percent to ¥804, while Kawasaki Kisen was up 3.1 percent to ¥828 and Mitsui OSK added 5 percent to ¥1,046.

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