Japanese stocks closed on slight and mostly positive changes ahead of parliamentary elections

Japanese stocks ended Friday's trading in the last session of the week on slight changes, mostly positive, to record the Nikkei gain for the 14th session in a row, among the longest series of daily gains in fifty years, supported by the rise of export companies benefiting from the decline of the local currency yen, The country's parliamentary elections will begin on Sunday.

The Nikkei average ended up 9.12 points, or 0.04 percent, at 21,457.64, its highest level since September 1996. The broader TOPIX index was up 0.6 points, or 0.03 percent, at 1,730.64.

Yesterday, the Nikkei average gained 0.4%, its 13th consecutive gain, among the longest daily gain since 1988, and the Topix rose 0.3%.

The yen fell more than 0.6% against the US dollar, hitting its lowest level in two weeks, keeping the shares of exporters, especially automakers and producers, up.
This week, the Nikkei gained 1.4%, its sixth weekly gain in a row, among the longest weekly gain in more than a year.

The early parliamentary elections, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for late last month after the dissolution of the parliament, will kick off on Sunday and Abe's aim is to have new political support to help him continue to implement stimulus policies for the world's third-largest economy.

Most opinion polls in Tokyo showed Shinzo Abe's ruling party was heading for a strong election victory.