Nikkei index ends at record high on U.S.-Iran peace talk hopes

The Nikkei stock index ended at a record high above 59,000 points on Thursday on growing optimism about peace negotiations between the United States and Iran.The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average climbed 1,384.10 points, or 2.38 percent, from Wednesday to 59,518.34. The broader Topix index finished 44.13 points, or 1.17 percent, higher at 3,814.46.On the top-tier Prime Market, the main gainers were nonferrous metal, electric appliance, and textile and apparel issues.The U.S. dollar briefly weakened to the lower 158 yen range in Tokyo, after Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama warned against furt…READ FULL ARTICLE