TOKYO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks ended higher Monday, with the benchmark Nikkei briefly surging over 2 percent, lifted by advances in heavyweight technology shares tracking gains of their U.S. counterparts late last week.
The benchmark Nikkei stock index, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, ended up 895.18 points, or 1.81 percent, from Friday at 50,402.39.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 21.51 points, or 0.64 percent, higher at 3,405.17.
On the stock market, heavyweight semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related issues such as Advantest and SoftBank Group surged on hopes for demand growth, while bank shares were bought on hopes for improved profits stemming from higher borrowing costs, analysts said.
Meanwhile, the yield on Japan's benchmark 10-year government bond surged and hit 2.100 percent on Monday, its highest level since February 1999, boosted by prospects of the Bank of Japan continuing to raise interest rates. ■
