TOKYO: Japanese stocks shuffled higher in their return from a three-day weekend, with techs rising amid continued softness for the yen (dollar USDJPY, +0.12% at ¥124.31) and transports improving after deep losses for crude-oil futures. Both the Nikkei Average NIK, +0.88% and Topix I0000, +0.61% were each 0.5% higher about 20 minutes into the trading day. Blue-chip advancers included Hitachi Ltd. 6501, +0.63% HTHIF, +2.11% (up 1.2%), Sharp Corp. 6753, +5.42% SHCAF, -14.07% (up 1.8%), Casio Computer Co. 6952, +0.48% CSIOY, -0.26% (up 3.2%) and Fujitsu Ltd. 6702, +0.48% FJTSY, -0.44% (up 1.5%), though Sony Corp. 6758, +0.91% SNE, -0.04% eased 0.3% after recent gains. Shares of Toshiba Corp. 6502, +5.89% TOSYY, -1.18% outperformed after the company said an independent panel had put the overstatement of operating profit in 2008-14 at about $1.2 billion, apparently ending speculation on the size of the problem. Meanwhile, the retreat for oil prices since Tokyo last traded helped Japan Airlines Co. 9201, +2.23% JAPSY, -0.16% rise 2%, while shippers Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. 9104, +3.85% MSLOF, -7.35% and Nippon Yusen K.K. 9101, +2.92% NYUKF, -8.28% climbed 3.3% and 2.1%, respectively. Shares of Mitsubishi Materials Corp. 5711, -1.78% were down 1.1%, as China’s state media called on the company to issue a public apology for its alleged use of Chinese forced labor after the company made a similar apology to U.S. prisoners of war made to work in the company’s mines during World War II.
