Japan’s Nikkei Index Closes 0.28% Higher

Japanese stock indices closed mixed at the close of trading on Wednesday.

The Nikkei index closed 0.28% higher at 35,725.87 points after fluctuating between gains and losses during the session. Earlier in the session, it fell 0.56%, reaching its lowest level since September 11, after opening higher.

The broader Topix index also rose in early trading but quickly reversed course, falling 1.17% and closing down 0.43%.

The Nikkei performed relatively better, with some of the index’s heaviest stocks rising, including Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing, which rose 3.74%, and chip testing equipment maker Advantest, which jumped 2.55%. Energy stocks were particularly under pressure on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, after crude oil prices retreated from their five-week highs at Tuesday’s settlement. Electricity and gas shares fell 2.25 percent, and mining stocks, including oil exploration companies, fell 2.0 percent. The automakers and parts suppliers sector was the second-best performer among the 33 sub-indexes on the Tokyo Stock Exchange today, rising 0.86 percent.