Japan Stocks Rise, Technology Sector Leads Gains

Japanese shares rallied on Wednesday after losses for two consecutive sessions, and the technology sector led the gains, tracking its US counterpart after signs of easing tensions between Russia and Ukraine pushed Wall Street to a sharp rise.

The Nikkei index jumped 2.2 percent to close at 27,460.40 points, while the broader Topix index rose 1.67% to 1946.63 points.

Chip-related Tokyo Electron rose 4.91 percent, while Advantest rose 4.78 percent and sensor maker TDK rose 5.1 percent.

Tire maker Bridgestone shares jumped 7.39 percent after the company announced a share buyback.

But with oil prices falling, Inpex Corp., an explorer, fell 3.40 percent and became the worst performer on the Nikkei index. Idemitsu Kosan Refining shares fell 1.91 percent.