TOKYO, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks ended higher on Thursday, with the benchmark Nikkei index closing at an all-time high, eclipsing the previous peak marked 34 years ago.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock index, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, ended up 836.52 points, or 2.19 percent, from Wednesday at 39,098.68, breaking the previous record of 38,915.87 set in December 1989 at the height of the country's asset bubble.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 33.41 points, or 1.27 percent, higher at 2,660.71, its highest level since February 1990.
The Nikkei index on Thursday climbed past the 39,000 threshold for the first time, as semiconductor-related Tokyo Electron and Advantest drew strong buying after U.S. chip giant Nvidia posted better-than-expected earnings for the latest quarter, analysts said.
Market watchers here noted the all-time high comes as expectations grew for another year of record profits of major Japanese companies and Japan's return to steady growth, but some investors were cautious about whether the upward momentum could be maintained, citing the U.S. presidential election in November and a potential shift by the Bank of Japan from its long-held ultraloose monetary policy. ■