Tokyo shares close higher

TOKYO: Tokyo stocks shrugged off earlier losses to close higher on Friday despite US shares being weighed down by discouraging corporate forecasts.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index climbed 0.48 percent, or 160.79 points, to end at 33,585.20, while the broader Topix index gained 0.95 percent, or 22.43 points, to 2,391.05.

“The Nikkei index opened lower following a sharp fall in Applied Materials, a leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer” in the United States, Iwai Cosmo Securities said.

“But the Nikkei index bounced back into positive territory as Tokyo Electron and other value-added semiconductor stocks showed signs of a turnaround,” it said.

The dollar fetched 150.61 yen, against 150.76 yen in New York late Thursday.

Among major shares, Tokyo Electron, which makes semiconductor tools, added 0.10 percent to 24,115 yen, while chip-testing equipment maker Advantest firmed 0.14 percent to 4,717 yen.