Nikkei 225 closes higher by 2.50% at 26,165.59

Japanese stocks return from the long weekend with a bang

Nikkei 24-11

The Nikkei climbs by over 2% to close near the highs for the day, as Asian equities trade more mixed during the session. The Hang Seng is up 0.1% but the Shanghai Composite is down 0.5%, though that belies the overall market mood.

Risk is keeping in a more positive spot after a stronger finish by Wall Street overnight, with S&P 500 futures being up by 0.7% ahead of European trading.
The transition to the Biden administration has begun and the market is also feeling good about the likely return of Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary.
In the currencies space, the dollar is slightly weaker to start the day with risk currencies leading the way. The kiwi also got an additional boost from a potential addition of house prices to the RBNZ mandate, seeing NZD/USD jump to its highest level since June 2018.