Nikkei edges up on final day of 2015; ends year up 9.1 pct

Japanese stocks edged up in thin trade on Wednesday after a Wall Street rally helped brighten sentiment on the Nikkei’s last trading day of 2015.

The Nikkei share average closed 0.3 percent higher at 19,033.71.

The index gained 9.1 percent for the year, driven by the U.S. economic recovery and the weaker yen as well as the Bank Of Japan’s asset purchases.

The broader Topix rose 0.3 percent to 1,547.30 in thin trade, with only 1.32 billion shares changing hands, the lowest since April 2014. The JPX-Nikkei Index 400 edged up 0.2 percent to 13,951.93.

Japanese markets will be closed until Jan. 3.

Source: Reuters