Nikkei surges 3.24% on weaker yen, exporters advance (4)

Canon Inc., rose on a weaker yen adding 3.4 percent to 3,855 yen and electronics maker Alps Electric Co. surged 9.2 percent to 883 yen -- the biggest gainer in Thursday's Nikkei -- following Citigroup Inc. boosting its stock-price estimate to 700 yen from 600 yen.

Data revealed that U.S. automakers' sales increased 19 percent in April as consumers feel more confident about spending and auto issue rose in Japan although some analysts suggested this had more to do with bargain hunting of issues that had lost value in recent weeks.

Toyota Motor Corp. rose 3.6 percent to 3,350 yen and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. gained 4.8 percent to 673 yen.

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. jumped 4.3 percent to 2,829 yen as one of its factories in China became fully operational again following two weeks of production issues.


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