Nikkei stock index closes 3.01pc higher

TOKYO, Apr 16 (AFP): Tokyo's Nikkei stock index jumped 3.01 per cent Wednesday as bargain-buying and a weaker yen lifted the Japanese market, following a rise on Wall Street bolstered by strong US corporate earnings.

The benchmark Nikkei 225, which tumbled 7.3 per cent last week, added 420.87 points to finish at 14,417.68, while the Topix index of all first-section shares tacked on 2.68 per cent, or 30.46 points, to 1,166.55.

Bargain-hunting helped drive Tokyo's strong gains, while shares of market heavyweight SoftBank soared 8.50 per cent to 7,604 yen.