Nikkei soars, Topix at highest since July 2008

Strong US trade data boosts risk appetite

Japan's Nikkei soared on Wednesday after strong trade data in the United States boosted risk appetite, with traders seeing buying from foreign pension funds, while Nintendo Co Ltd jumped after China temporarily lifted a ban on selling game consoles.

The Nikkei ended 1.9% higher at 16,121.45, nearing a six-year high of 16,320.22 reached on December 30.

The broader Topix index jumped 1.8% to 1,306.23, a level not seen since July 2008, in active trade, with 3 billion shares changing hands, the highest volume since December 13.

Traders said overseas pension funds and other foreign investors were among buyers of financials such as Nomura Holdings and Mizuho Financial Group, up 4.6% and 3.5%, respectively. Nomura was the most traded stock on the main board, while Mizuho was the fourth.

Nintendo, the seventh-most traded, surged 11% to a 2-1/2 year high after China temporarily lifted a 14-year-old ban on selling video game consoles.

The JPX-Nikkei Index 400, which started trading on Monday, gained 1.8% to 11,800.26.

The US November trade deficit shrank to its lowest in four years, thanks mainly to a renaissance in energy production, prompting analysts to revise up forecasts for economic growth.