TOKYO, May 22, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Tokyo stocks opened higher on Wednesday
following a rebound on Wall Street after the United States said it would
delay a ban on Chinese telecom giant Huawei.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 0.44 percent, or 93.01 points, at
21,365.46 in early trade, while the broader Topix index was up 0.36 percent,
or 5.51 points, at 1,555.81.
US shares gained ground following two straight losing sessions, with tech
companies leading after the US Commerce Department announced it would delay
implementation of a ban on Huawei for 90 days to allow companies to adjust
operations and avoid disruption.
On Wall Street, the Dow ended up 0.8 percent at 25,877.33 while the tech-
heavy Nasdaq rallied 1.1 percent.
Investors took heart “especially from the halt in falls on the Nasdaq
index… and today chip-related shares are seen rebounding,” Okasan Online
Securities said in a commentary.
A relatively cheaper yen against the dollar is also supporting the
Japanese market, it noted.
The dollar fetched 110.59 yen in early Asian trade, against 110.50 yen in
New York and 110.15 yen in Tokyo on Tuesday.
In Tokyo, chip-testing equipment maker Advantest was up 1.05 percent at
2,789 yen and chip-making equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron was up 0.12
percent at 15,440 yen.
Minicar specialist Suzuki dropped 3.63 percent to 5,219 yen after reports
that its Indian unit Maruti Suzuki is facing probes by Indian anti-monopoly
authorities over allegations of breaching anti-monopoly rules.