Japanese shares rise on Wall Street gains, oil

Japanese shares advance for third straight session on Wall Street gains, falling oil NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Japanese shares rose for the third straight session Thursday, lifted by further gains on Wall Street and a continuing slide in oil prices. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index increased 290.38 points, or 2.18 percent, to close at 13,603.31. "The index was supported by external factors such as a rise in the U.S. market and falling oil prices," said Yutaka Miura, senior strategist at Shinko Securities Co. Ltd. Investors continued to buy banking stocks amid easing worries over the health of the U.S. financial sector, Miura said, while export-linked stocks ended higher, helped by a softening yen. A weak yen makes Japanese goods price competitive abroad and boosts the value of repatriated profits by local exporters. But... [read full story]