Tokyo, April 14 (QNA) - Japan's Nikkei index rose on Tuesday to levels not seen since the outbreak of the current crisis in West Asia, as optimism over negotiations to end the conflict led to a decline in oil prices.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 2.43 percent to 57,877.39 points, its highest closing level since March 2, while the broader Topix index rose 0.87 percent to 3,755.27 points.

The Nikkei had closed at an all-time high on Feb. 26, before the United States and Israel began airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28, triggering a conflict that led to an almost complete halt in oil shipments from the region. 
A total of 137 stocks on the Nikkei rose, versus 87 that declined. Shares of semiconductor-related companies and firms operating in the artificial intelligence sector, which requires massive amounts of energy, posted the biggest gains.

Shares of SoftBank Group, which invests in AI, led the gains on the Nikkei, rising 12.7 percent. It was followed by chipmaker Kioxia, up 11.9 percent, and tech sector supplier Advantest, which gained 8.5 percent. (QNA)