(RTTNews) - A higher open is expected for Japan stocks on Thursday, following a positive lead from Wall Street. U.S. markets finished higher, with just a lukewarm reaction to word that the Federal Reserve would leave interest rates unchanged.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Average posted a gain of 41.36 points or 0.42 percent to close at 9,844.31.

Among the Nikkei component stocks, there were 114 closing higher, 93 were lower and 18 finished unchanged.

The broader Topix index advanced 0.73 points or 0.1 percent to 881.27.

Trading volume was low at just under 1.7 billion shares.

Among the stocks and sectors of interest, the resources-related companies benefited from spiking oil and gold prices.

Gold producer Sumitomo Metal Mining rose 37 yen or 2.57 percent. Oil producer Inpex gained 2,000 yen or 0.27 percent and Showa Shell was up 5 yen or 0.57 percent.

Among the financials, Mitsubishi UFJ was down 8 yen or 1.64 percent, Mizuho Financial was down 4 yen or 2.17 percent, Sumitomo Mitsui was unchanged and Resona Holdings was down 12 yen or 1.14 percent.

In the auto sector, Toyota Motor said its sales in China increased 42 percent on year last month. A news report hinted the company is preparing to raise its global sales target for the current year to 7 million vehicles from 6.5 million. Toyota shares were up 40 yen or 1.12 percent. Elsewhere in the sector, Honda was up 40 yen or 1.42 percent, Subaru maker Fuji Heavy was up 11 yen or 3.19 percent, Mazda Motor was up 6 yen or 2.94 percent, Nissan Motor was up 11 yen or 1.69 percent and Mitsubishi Motor was unchanged.

In overseas trading, U.S. markets closed higher following a Federal Reserve announcement that interest rates would remain unchanged, and were expected to stay there for an extended period.

At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 30.23 points or 0.31 percent at 9,802.14, the Nasdaq Composite index was down 1.80 points or 0.09 percent at 2,055.52 and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index was up 1.09 points or 0.10 percent at 1,046.50.

The other major Asia/pacific region markets all finished higher on Wednesday.

The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was up 374.71 points or 1.76 percent at 21,614.77.

In China, the Shanghai Composite index rose 14.31 points or 0.46 percent to 3,128.54.

India’s SENSEX/BSE 30 index was up 507.19 points or 3.298 percent at 21,614.77.

The Jakarta Composite index in Indonesia was up 37.75 points or 1.62 percent at 2,371.86.

In South Korea, the KOSPI/Seoul Composite index advanced 30.01 points or 1.94 percent to 1,579.93.

The Taiwan Weighted Index was up 144.11 points or 1.97 percent at 7,647.04.

In the news on Thursday, the Bank of Japan is scheduled to release the minutes from its monetary policy meeting on October 13 and 14. At the meeting, the BoJ continued to maintain record low interest rates at 0.10 percent.

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Posted in Categories: Releases, Stocks.

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