Nikkei stock index tops 60,000 for 1st time on Middle East peace hopes

The Nikkei stock index on Thursday briefly topped the 60,000 line for the first time, lifted by some heavyweight technology shares, after U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks on an indefinite ceasefire in the Middle East.At 9:06 a.m., the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 428.12 points, or 0.72 percent, from Wednesday to 60,013.98.Artificial intelligence and semiconductor shares boosted the market, as investors were drawn to companies with relatively limited concerns about business performance ahead of the earnings season.Although gains were later trimmed by program selling, briefly push…READ FULL ARTICLE