TOKYO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed higher Thursday as a solid tone set by Wall Street overnight along with easing global trade tensions let to the benchmark Nikkei stock index ending at a two-week high.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 197.53 points, or 0.87 percent, from Wednesday to close the day at 22,823.26.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 11.42 points, or 0.64 percent, to finish at 1,789.01.
The U.S. Nasdaq Composite index hitting a new record high for the third straight day set a positive tone for investors here, with gains expanding during the day on easing concerns about a simmering global trade war, local brokers said.
Market analysts also said that despite a comparatively firm yen against its major counterparts, investors still sought out blue chip issues, hedging that they would advance markedly following major political and financial events scheduled for this week and next.
Usually, investors cheer a weaker yen as firms broadly exposed to overseas markets, like automakers and electronic firms, see their competitiveness increase when the Japanese currency is weak and their profit outlooks improve helped by funds repatriated being augmented on favorable exchange rates.
The market's rise was capped in later trade, however, as market players took a wait-and-see approach ahead of a series of events, including the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, which could have a heavy bearing on the market, traders here said.
By the close of play, securities house, chemical and miscellaneous product-linked issues comprised those that gained the most, and rising stocks outpaced falling ones by 1,555 to 462 on the First Section, while 67 ended the day unchanged.
On the main section on Thursday, 1,434.15 million shares changed hands, rising from Wednesday's volume of 1,389.76 million shares.
The turnover on the penultimate trading day of the week came to 2,545.1 billion yen (23.12 billion U.S. dollars).