Japan’s Nikkei share average rose for an eleventh day on Friday on hopes of better shareholder returns, but the gains were limited as investors stayed cautious against imminent profit-taking.
The Nikkei average ended 0.1 per cent higher at 20,563.15 points, hitting another 15-year closing high. The 11-day winning streak is the longest since February 1988.
For the week, it gained 1.5 per cent, and for the month, it rose 5.3 per cent, the fifth straight month of gains.
The broader Topix rose 0.1 per cent to 1,673.65, adding 5.1 per cent this month. Volume was heavy, with 3.29 billion shares changing hands, the biggest since early November.
The JPX-Nikkei Index 400 was nearly flat at 15,121.12.