Nikkei ends up 4% at record high after Japan ruling party's election win

TOKYO - The Nikkei stock index surged nearly 4 percent on Monday to close at a record high on hopes for expansionary fiscal policy in Japan after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party scored a landslide victory in the previous day's House of Representatives election.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 2,110.26 points, or 3.89 percent, from Friday at 56,363.94, logging the fifth-largest point gain in history on a closing basis. It briefly jumped over 5 percent to surpass 57,000 for the first time.