Japanese stocks climbed to their highest level in nearly 15 years on Thursday as strong trade data for January and a weaker yen boosted exporters’ shares. Most regional markets were closed for lunar new year holidays.
The Nikkei 225 stock index gained 0.5 percent to 18,283.73 by its midday close, falling back from an intraday peak of 18,322.50 that was the benchmark’s highest level since May 2000.
The rally was driven by strong buying of exporters, and shipping lines after the government reported the trade deficit plunged nearly 60 percent on a 17 percent year-on-year jump in exports in January.
Shipping line Mitsui O.S.K. rose 0.9 percent; electronics and entertainment giant Sony Corp. gained 2.7 percent and machinery maker Fanuc Corp. rose 0.7 percent.
Elsewhere in the region, Australia’s S&P ASX/200 lost 0.4 percent to 5,893.70. New Zealand’s shares also fell.
The U.S. stock market eased back Wednesday from its latest all-time highs, with the Dow Jones industrial average slipping 17.73 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,029.85. The S&P 500 lost 0.7 point, or 0.03 percent, to 2,099.68.
Oil prices fell amid speculation that a recent rally in crude was excessive.
The price of benchmark U.S. crude, which rose last week, fell $1.39 to $52.14 a barrel Wednesday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $2 to $60.53 a barrel.
The U.S. dollar fell to 118.70 against the Japanese yen, almost unchanged from its close Wednesday of 118.78. The dollar edged up against the euro, to $1.1408 from $1.1399.
