Japan's Nikkei climbs 2% on return from holiday as yen stabilises
Updates prices as of 0230 GMT, adds analyst's comment
By Kevin Buckland
TOKYO, Aug 13 (Reuters) -Japan's Nikkei share average jumped more than 2% on Tuesday, with tech shares leading the rally as sentiment got a boost from a more stable yen as traders returned after a public holiday.
The Nikkei .N225 entered the midday recess up 2.2% at 35,785.55, after reaching as high as 36,025.92 earlier in the session, topping the psychological 36,000 level for the first time since Aug. 2.
The broader Topix .TOPX climbed 1.8%.
Chip-making equipment giant Tokyo Electron 8035.T led Nikkei gainers by index points with a 5.3% rally. Chip-testing machine manufacturer Advantest 6857.T was next, advancing 5.5%.
Sony Group 6758.T and Toyota Motor 7203.T rose 5.5% and 2.5%, respectively.
The yen has stabilized around 147 per dollar JPY=EBS in recent days, and last traded at 147.36. It had touched as high as 141.675 on Aug. 5 for the first time since the start of this year.
Japanese markets were closed on Monday for the Obon holiday, and trading is likely to be thin all week, with many investors taking additional time off.
"The Nikkei looks like it will trade firm all day based on current price action," said Maki Sawada, an equities strategist at Nomura Securities.
"Whether the Nikkei can recover above 36,000 will be a key focal point."
The Nikkei had slumped to as low as 31,156.12 on Aug. 5 for the first time in almost nine months amid a sharply higher yen, spurred in part by a sudden rise in fears of a U.S. recession, following a surprisingly soft monthly payrolls report.
U.S. macro data has improved since then, but the economic outlook faces a crucial week with the release of producer inflation data later on Tuesday, followed by consumer inflation data on Wednesday and retail sales a day after.
Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Rashmi Aich
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