schema:articleBody
| - Tokyo stocks rebounded from opening losses on Monday as the Bank of Japan assured investors it would provide support as it sought to ease worries over the spread of the coronavirus. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 1.25 percent, or 263.28 point, to 21,406.24 in early afternoon trade, while the broader Topix index was up 1.34 percent, or 20.20 points, at 1,531.07. Investors are "watching the number of patients short-term, while governments of relevant countries are readying measures" including economic stimulus, Yukino Yamada, senior strategist at Daiwa Securities, said in a commentary. "In the Tokyo market, concerns are emerging that shares have oversold," she said. In a rare statement, the Bank of Japan said it "will strive to provide ample liquidity and ensure stability in financial markets" to divert risks linked to instability in global markets caused by the spread of the disease. The announcement came after Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell on Friday said the US central bank was following developments in the virus outbreak and sait it "will use our tools and act as appropriate to support the economy". The dollar rebounded to 108.20 yen in the afternoon, from around 107.70 yen in the morning. The BoJ statement "prompted purchases", Okasan Online Securities analyst Yoshihiro Ito said in a note. In Tokyo, some blue-chip exporters rebounded after opening lower, with Toyota trading up 0.63 percent at 7,172 yen and Panasonic rallying 1.11 percent to 1,042 yen. Sony surged 4.54 percent to 6,911 yen and Nintendo climbed 3.58 percent to 37,570 yen. kh/sah/dan
|