Sony and Hitachi lead rally after two-day fall

Nikkei: 9,093.72 (+488.57) Hang Seng: 22,700.88 (+22.63) Shanghai Comp: 2,931.10 (+34

Nikkei: 9,093.72 (+488.57) Hang Seng: 22,700.88 (+22.63) Shanghai Comp: 2,931.10 (+34.85):JAPANESE STOCKS rallied more than 5 per cent yesterday after suffering a 16 per cent plunge over the previous two days when investors panicked in the face of an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis.

The broader Topix index closed 6.6 per cent higher at 817.63, recovering some of the losses from its biggest two-day plunge since the Asian stock market crash.

Sony jumped 8.8 per cent, while Hitachi, which provides nuclear power generation systems, soared 16.6 per cent the biggest same-day jump since September 1974.

Toyota Motor, the world’s largest car maker by sales volumes, gained 9.1 per cent.

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Mizuho Financial rose 5.4 per cent. Japan Tobacco was up 12.5 per cent.

Tokyo Electric Power plunged 24.6 per cent as the company announced that a new fire had broken out at its Fukushima nuclear plant.

The yen weakened against the dollar. In Tokyo, the currency was trading at 80.84 per dollar.

Elsewhere in Asia stock markets put in mixed performances following a sharp sell-off on Tuesday. – (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2011)