[Nikkei Stock Average and TOPIX (Table)]

The Nikkei average closed at 38,475.70, up 61.27 points.

TOPIX closed at 2,711.00, up 0.97 points.

[Sector]: Mining, insurance, banking, transportation equipment, wholesale trade, etc. are the top decliners, while pharmaceuticals, precision instruments, and electric and gas industries rose. The turnover of the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime includes Laser Tech <6920>, Mirrors HD <8897>, Kawasaki Shipbuilding <9107>, Dai-ichi Life HD <8750>, Recruit HD <6098>, Marubeni <8002>, Mitsui & Co. <8031>, Honda <7267>, SMC <6273>, INPEX <1605>, Nissan Motor <7201>, and Nomura <8604>, all of which fell. Meanwhile, Nitori Holdings <9843>, Rakuten Group <4755>, and Daiichi Sankyo <4568>, among others, have risen.

The Nikkei average on the 20th opened higher at 38,475.70, up 61.27 yen. On the 19th, the U.S. stock market closed mixed. The Dow closed at 43,268.94, down 120.66 points, while the Nasdaq closed at 18,987.47, up 195.66 points. Concerns over the intensification of the Ukraine-Russia war accelerated selling, leading to a significant decline after the opening. Growing concerns over a subdued housing start and declining growth with a weak number of housing starts led to a continued decline in the Dow throughout the day. On the other hand, the Nasdaq turned higher on expectations for the semiconductor Nvidia (NVDA) earnings and lower long-term interest rates. It expanded its gains towards the end and the major indices closed mixed with gains and losses.

Buying dominated today's Tokyo stock market. While the Dow fell in the U.S. stock market yesterday, the high-tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX Index) consisting of major semiconductor-related stocks rose, supporting the stock prices of high-tech and semiconductor-related stocks in Tokyo. Furthermore, the slight weakness in U.S. long-term interest rates in the overseas markets yesterday also provided reassurance to the Tokyo market. On the other hand, the Tokyo market was weighed down by the Dow's fourth consecutive decline in overseas markets yesterday. The escalating geopolitical risks surrounding Ukraine and Russia dampened investor sentiment. Additionally, some investors refrained from active buying in anticipation of Nvidia's earnings for the October-January period to be announced early tomorrow Japan time, but buying predominated at the opening. The trade balance for October announced before the start of trading showed a deficit of 461.2 billion yen. The median of private forecasts summarized by QUICK was a deficit of 345.2 billion yen.

By sector, precision instruments, other products, retail trade, fisheries and forestry, food products, and others were among the top gainers, while insurance, mining, marine transportation, banking, oil & coal products, and others were among the top decliners. In the top trading value on the TSE Prime, companies like 7&iHD<3382>, SOMPO<8630>, Tokyo Gas<9531>, Mitsui E&S<7003>, Sony Group<6758>, Sakura<3778>, Asics<7936>, Nidec<6594>, Nippon Steel<5631>, Rakuten<4755>, Lasertec<6920>, Disco<6146>, Chugai Pharma<4519>, among others, recorded gains. However, Tokyo Marine<8766>, MS&AD<8725>, Daikin<6367>, Bandai Namco<7832>, Mitsubishi UFJ<8306>, Panasonic<6752>, MOL<9104>, INPEX<1605>, Honda<7267>, Fujikura<5803>, and others experienced declines.