TOKYO, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed higher on Friday, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index briefly jumping more than 4 percent, amid rekindled hopes for a settlement of the conflict in the Middle East.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 1,802.77 points, or 2.81 percent, from Thursday at 66,020.04.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 51.61 points, or 1.35 percent, higher at 3,881.96.
On the top-tier Prime Market, nonferrous metal, machinery, and iron and steel issues were notable gainers.
The Nikkei briefly topped the 67,000 mark for the first time in more than a week, after reports surfaced that the United States and Iran are likely to sign an agreement over the next few days, restoring hopes for an end to the Middle East conflict.
A pullback in benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures to below 90 U.S. dollars per barrel also bolstered market sentiment, analysts said.
Artificial intelligence- and semiconductor-related shares rallied, tracking overnight advances by their U.S. counterparts, although profit-taking pared some gains.
The surge in tech shares lifted Kioxia Holdings Corp. to overtake Toyota Motor Corp. as Japan's most valuable publicly traded company by market capitalization. ■
