LONDON (ShareCast) - A weaker yen against the dollar whipped up appetite for key Japanese exporters and sent the Nikkei (news) 1% higher on Monday.
The benchmark Nikkei index closed up
97 points at 9,865 in Tokyo.
Canon (Berlin: CNN1.BE - news) rose almost 5% to 3,400 yen, Sony (Munich: 853687 - news) was up 0.9% to 2,720 yen while car makers Honda and Toyota also motored higher.
A better than expected jobs report in the US on Friday lifted the overall mood in Monday's session in Tokyo as did the yen's weakness. The Japanese currency was trading at a one month low against the dollar.
In broker news Nomura rallied 3% to 785 yen after Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS - news) lifted its rating on the stock to "overweight" from "equal-weight", citing the group's improved profit outlook for the medium-term.
In economic news a report by the Japanese government showed the country's current-account surplus shrank in April as the economic downturn reduced demand for exports.
Profit taking took the Hang Seng (news) lower on Monday with shares in heavyweight HSBC (LSE: HSBA.L - news) drooping around 1.2%. Hang Seng Bank fell 2.2%.
Property plays were mostly lower as profit takers moved in on recent gains. Shares in Sun Hung Kai Properties lost 3.3% to HK$97.70. Hang Lung Properties was down 1.7% to HK$25.55.
The Hang Seng index closed down 363 points at 18,316 in Hong Kong.
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