Real estate crisis in China weighs on – Nikkei follows Wall Street into positive territory

Given the optimistic US economic outlook, investors stocked up on heavyweight technology stocks: chip tester manufacturer Advantest rose 1.41 percent, Shin-Etsu Chemical rose 2.28 percent and Tokyo Electron rose 0.36 percent. Chipmaker Renesas Electronics rose 3.08 percent, making it the biggest percentage gainer on the Nikkei. Air conditioning manufacturer Daikin Industries climbed 0.86 percent. “Expectations for a soft landing for the US economy are increasing,” said Yugo Tsuboi of Daiwa Securities. “Investors bought stocks that are likely to be affected by the global economy.”