TOKYO: Japanese stocks ended higher on Wednesday as investors bet the healthcare sector would continue to benefit from a prolonged battle with the coronavirus, while technology shares rose on signs that Apple was eying an entry into electric cars.

The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.33% to 26,524.79, while the broader Topix rose 0.23% to 1,765.21.

Pharmaceuticals rose 0.9% on hopes for better earnings.

Electronic parts makers and information and communications stocks rose 0.8% and 0.03%, respectively.

Top gainers among the top 30 core Topix names were Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd and Keyence Corp, rising 2.9% and 1.9%, respectively. The underperformers among the Topix 30 were SoftBank Group Corp down 2.56%, followed by Honda Motor Co Ltd losing 2.33%.

There were 80 advancers on the Nikkei index against 141 decliners. The volume of shares traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s main board was 0.89 billion, compared to the average of 1.33 billion in the past 30 days.