Nikkei stock index briefly tops 70,000 for 1st time since July

The Nikkei stock index briefly topped the 70,000 line on Monday for the first time since early July, led by heavyweight technology shares as fading expectations for a rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve lifted sentiment.The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 1,637.40 points, or 2.40 percent, from Friday at 69,946.86. The broader Topix index finished 54.22 points, or 1.33 percent, higher at 4,145.22.On the top-tier Prime Market, the main gainers were electric appliance, glass and ceramics product and chemical issues.The U.S. dollar traded mostly in the upper 157 yen range in Tokyo, br…READ FULL ARTICLE