Tokyo stocks extend gains over U.S. tech rally

TOKYO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks extended gains on Tuesday, buoyed by strong performances in U.S. technology shares.

The benchmark Nikkei stock index, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, ended up 134.15 points, or 0.30 percent, at 44,902.27, after briefly topping the 45,000 mark for the first time during intraday trading.

The rally followed Wall Street's advance overnight, when the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index both hit record highs.

Major semiconductor shares such as Advantest, Tokyo Electron, and Disco gained ground, pushing up the Nikkei.

Automakers Toyota, Honda, and Denso also rose, while Murata Manufacturing, HOYA, and Mitsui & Co. attracted buying. In contrast, Fast Retailing, Nintendo, and Bandai Namco Holdings declined, along with Nitto Denko and Terumo.

The broader Topix index also rose, adding 7.87 points, or 0.25 percent, to close at a record 3,168.36.

On the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market, 1,078 advanced, 493 declined, and 48 were unchanged. Enditem