Japanese stocks rise nearly 21% in the first quarter

The Dow Jones and S&P 500 in the US both hit a new historical high overnight, and stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region followed suit.

The Japanese stock market rose, with the Nikkei average index closing at 40,369 points, up 201 points or 0.5%. In summary, the Japanese stock market rose 3.07% in March; it rose 20.63% in the first quarter of this year.

The South Korean stock market was stable, with the Seoul Composite Index in South Korea closing at 2,746 points, up 0.81 points or 0.03%.