Japan Stocks Advance, Catching Up After Holiday

Japan stocks advanced Wednesday morning, catching up with recent gains in the U.S. after returning from a three-day weekend. The Nikkei Average moved up 1.1%, with the broader Topix index up 0.9%. Auto makers and financial shares were stronger. Mazda Motor Corp. climbed 2.6%, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. rose 1.9%, Toyota Motor Corp. added 1.7%, and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. traded 1.6% higher. Meanwhile, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. improved by 1.4%, and Dai-Ichi Life Insurance Company, Ltd. headed 1.3% higher. Among tech exporters, semiconductor manufacturer Tokyo Electron Ltd. spiked 3.4%, media conglomerate Sony Corporation jumped 2.9%, electronics giant Sharp Corporation leapt 2.3%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 edged down 0.2%.