By Kevin Buckland
TOKYO, April 20 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average
rose on Thursday, clawing back losses from the previous day as
retailers surged from an increase in foreign visitors and
semiconductor shares rebounded from early declines.
The Nikkei added 0.18% to 28,657.57, finishing
near the day's high after starting out in the red, and putting
it not far from Tuesday's nearly six-week high of 28,698.22.
The broader Topix remained slightly in the red at
the end of trading though, losing 0.03% to 2,039.73.
"Although the market is cautious after the Nikkei reached a
high on Tuesday, there isn't really any major negative news to
drive a decline," said Maki Sawada, a strategist at Nomura
Securities.
Investors will be closely watching chip-making equipment
maker Disco Corp earnings later in the day, she said.
Chip-making equipment giant Tokyo Electron Ltd rose
1.75% and chip-testing equipment maker Advantest Corp gained 2.2%, adding 27 and 27 index points respectively to the
Nikkei's tally to be the no. 2 and 3 supports. They began the
day in the red, tracking declines in U.S. peers. Uniqlo store operator Fast Retailing Co Ltd delivered about 46 points with a 1.4% advance.
Fellow retailer Takashimaya Co Ltd was the biggest
percentage gainer, jumping 3.71%.
Among Tokyo Stock Exchange industry sectors, banking and insurance were among the best
performers, rising around 0.4% each.
Paper & pulp was the top performer, up 1%, while
mining led losers with a 0.85% slide.
Startup investor SoftBank Group Corp was the
Nikkei's biggest drag, shaving off 17 index points with a 1.64%
retreat.
On the Nikkei, 128 stocks advanced and 88 fell, with nine
flat.
(Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Varun H K)
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