--- title: "The Nikkei Index rose 262 points or 0.5% in the half-day session, led by trading companies and shipping stocks" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/279360082.md" description: "Japanese stocks rose in the morning session, with the Nikkei average index up 262 points or 0.5%, reporting at 54,013 points. Trading companies and shipping stocks led the gains, with Itochu, Marubeni, and Sumitomo Corporation rising between 2.3% and 2.8%, while Nippon Yusen and Kawasaki Kisen increased by 8% and 9.4%, respectively. Bank stocks also saw slight increases. Artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks generally retreated, with SoftBank and Avantest falling by 1% to 1.6%. Heavy industry stocks and other shares showed mixed performance, with the dollar trading at 159.34 yen" datetime: "2026-03-17T02:59:46.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/279360082.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/279360082.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279360082.md) --- # The Nikkei Index rose 262 points or 0.5% in the half-day session, led by trading companies and shipping stocks Japanese stocks rose in the early market, driven by the rebound of U.S. stocks the previous night (16th), but the semiconductor stocks' high-level pullback limited the market's upward momentum. The Nikkei average opened up 535 points, initially rising 637 points to a high of 54,388 points before the gains narrowed, closing up 262 points or 0.5% at 54,013 points. Trading companies and shipping stocks led the gains, with Itochu (8001.JP), Marubeni (8002.JP), and Sumitomo Corporation (8053.JP) rising 2.3% to 2.8%, while Mitsubishi Corporation (8058.JP) and Mitsui & Co. (8031.JP) rose 3.9% and 5.6%. Nippon Yusen (9101.JP) and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (9107.JP) rose 8% and 9.4%, while Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (9104.JP) rose 5.5%. Bank stocks Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.JP) and Mizuho Financial Group (8411.JP) also rose 1.4% and 1.1%. Artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks generally retreated, with SoftBank (9984.JP), Avantest (6857.JP), and Discotek (6146.JP) falling 1% to 1.6%, and Raytech (6920.JP) down 3.1%. Tokyo Electron (8035.JP) rose 0.1%, while Kioxia (285A.JP) fell 0.7%. Wire stocks Furukawa Electric (5801.JP) and Sumitomo Electric (5802.JP) fell 4.1% and 3.8%, while Fujikura (5803.JP) fell 2.3%. Heavy industry stocks Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.JP) and IHI (7013.JP) rose 2.5% and 2.2%. Metal stocks JX Metals (5016.JP) fell 1.3%. In other stocks, Fast Retailing (9983.JP) rose 0.3%, while Sony (6758.JP) and Nintendo (7974.JP) fell 1.9% and 2.2%. Sanrio (8136.JP) and Nissan (7201.JP) rose 2.4% and 2.8%, while department store company Mitsukoshi Isetan (3099.JP) rose 3.7%. The exchange rate of the dollar against the yen is 159.34 ### Related Stocks - [8002.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/8002.JP.md) - [9380.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/9380.JP.md) - [9115.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/9115.JP.md) - [9101.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/9101.JP.md) - [9107.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/9107.JP.md) - [8001.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/8001.JP.md) - [1329.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/1329.JP.md) - [1320.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/1320.JP.md) - [YCS.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/YCS.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [BOJ Policymaker Signals That Rate Hike Might Be Approaching](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287148152.md) - [NYK Line (TSE:9101) Margin Compression Reinforces Cautious Narratives After FY 2026 Results](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286078949.md) - [Japan's factory activity expands at slower pace, cost pressures surge](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287134571.md) - [Will Group Releases FY2026 Results and FY2027 Outlook Materials](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286382782.md) - [US Treasury Secretary Bessent. Excess FX volatility is undesirable.](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286916018.md)