Japan’s Nikkei closes at 20-mth high spurred by chipmakers’ investment plans

The Nikkei stock market in Japan rose for a sixth consecutive session on Thursday, as investors cheered chipmaking investment plans and reasonable April trade data. The gains are the second such winning streak for the Nikkei in as many months as stocks surf a wave of buybacks and enthusiasm about governance reform. The Nikkei jumped 1.6% to close at 30,573.93, also posting its biggest daily gain since March 22. The broader Topix jumped 1.