TOKYO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock index extended gains for a ninth successive session on Friday, marking its longest rally since September 2019, as investors sough out bargains and maneuvered to secure year-end dividends.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average added 39.45 points, or 0.14 percent, from Thursday to close the day at 28,149.84.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, edged down 0.09 point, or 0.00 percent, to finish at 1,981.47.
Dealers here said that among a lack of cues, investors, while seeking out bargains, also snapped-up issues with the aim of securing dividend payouts for the year through March.
"Amid a lack of trading cues, there was buying on hopes to obtain dividends and selling to lock in profits. But investors refrained from making major moves," Kazuo Kamitani, a strategist in the Investment Content Department of Nomura Securities Co., was quoted as saying.
In general terms, other strategists said that prior jitters over geopolitical issues had settled somewhat and buying sentiment to a degree had returned.
"Market uncertainties have been removed and that has prompted investors to buy stocks," Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management, said.
Technology shares found favor following their U.S. peers higher overnight, with Tokyo Electron propping up the market the most, closing 0.6 percent higher, while industrial robotics maker Fanuc added 0.9 percent after announcing a share buyback program.
Screen Holdings, meanwhile, was another notable winner, gaining 2.1 percent by the close.
Conversely, Nikkei heavyweight SoftBank Group weighed on the market owing to profit-taking and slipped 0.25 percent by the closing bell.
Among pharmaceutical issues finding favor, Shionogi & Co. climbed 4.5 percent, after reports the government had agreed to purchase enough doses of its oral COVID-19 drug for 1 million people.
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group came under pressure, however, dropping 1.8 percent after executives at its brokerage unit SMBC Nikko Securities were arrested and indicted for alleged market manipulation.
On the main section on Friday, 1,186.85 million shares changed hands, dropping from Thursday's volume of 1,242.10 million shares.
The turnover on the final trading day of the week came to 3,058.12 billion yen (25.15 billion U.S. dollars). ■