Japan Bourse May Add To Its Winnings On Wednesday

(RTTNews) - The Japanese stock market has moved higher in four straight sessions, rallying more than 1,400 points or 3.7 percent along the way. The Nikkei 225 now sits just above the 39,180-point plateau and it may open in the green again on Wednesday.

The global forecast for the Asian markets is mixed to higher on better than expected inflation data. The European and U.S. markets were mostly higher and the Asian bourses figure to follow that lead.

The Nikkei finished sharply higher on Tuesday following gains from the financial shares and automobile producers, while the technology stocks were mixed.

For the day, the index rallied 539.00 points or 1.43 percent to finish at 38,183.26 after trading 38,124.20 and 38,494.06.

Among the actives, Nissan Motor accelerated 3.00 percent, while Mazda Motor strengthened 1.32 percent, Toyota Motor spiked 3.50 percent, Honda Motor climbed 1.01 percent, Softbank Group improved 1.24 percent, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial soared 3.70 percent, Mizuho Financial collected 2.35 percent, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial rallied 2.95 percent, Mitsubishi Electric shed 0.51 percent, Sony Group jumped 1.73 percent, Panasonic Holdings lost 0.59 percent and Hitachi gained 0.76 percent.

The lead from Wall Street is mixed as the Dow opened in the red and remained there throughout, while the NASDAQ and S&P 500 were in positive territory from start to finish.

The Dow slumped 269.67 points or 0.64 percent to finish at 42,140.43, while the NASDAQ surged 301.74 points or 1.61 percent to close at 19,010.08 and the S&P 500 gained 42.36 points or 0.72 percent to end at 5,886.55.

The continued strength in the broader markets followed the release of a Labor Department report showing consumer prices in the U.S. rose less than expected in April.

The slightly tamer-than-expected inflation data eased concerns about President Donald Trump's new tariffs on U.S. trade partners leading to higher prices.

Meanwhile, a steep drop by shares of UnitedHealth (UNH) weighed on the Dow, with the healthcare giant plunging by 17.8 percent after the company suspended its full-year guidance.

Crude oil prices showed another significant move to the upside on Tuesday, reaching its highest closing level in almost a month on optimism about the outlook for demand. West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery surged $1.72 or 2.8 percent to $63.67 a barrel.

Closer to home, Japan will provide April numbers for producer prices later this morning, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 0.2 percent on month and 4.0 percent on year - easing from 0.4 percent on month and 4.2 percent on year in March.