The Japanese Nikkei 225 index rose 1.4 per cent in trading to close at 19,254.25, passing the 19,000 barrier for the first time since April 2000.
Automation firm Fanuc was one of the chief contributors to the gain, rising 13.21 per cent in trading, with the Nikkei recording an increase for three consecutive days as the potential for further quantitative easing and expectations of a wage hike are boosting sentiment.
Meanwhile a drop in the US dollar currency index to below 100 has helped boost global equity markets, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indices closing up by 1.26 per cent and 1.47 per cent respectively. In Europe the FTSE EuroFirst300 is slightly higher at 0.02 per cent in early trading, while Germany’s Dax index has gained 0.11 per cent.
