TOKYO: Tokyo stocks advanced Thursday as investors took heart from gains on Wall Street for a second straight session following strong US consumer data. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index added 0.83 percent, or 236.16 points, to 28,798.37 at the close, while the broader Topix index rose 0.91 percent, or 17.92 points, to 1,989.43.

The dollar fetched 114.24 in Asian trade, against 114.16 yen in New York late Wednesday. “Keeping up the momentum from New York where all three major indices rose, the Nikkei opened the session with gains,” Okasan Online Securities said.

“Strong US economic indicators helped fuel rises in economically sensitive stocks,” the brokerage said, referring to shares related to steel and chemical products in particular. But the market lacked energy, with many foreign investors away for Christmas, it added. It came as Japan braces itself for the expected spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.