Nikkei passes 15-year peak to close above 19,000

Further yen weakness has helped Japan's Nikkei 225 index pass the 19,000 mark for the first time since 2000.

The market closed 1.4% higher this morning to reach 19,254, its highest close for 15 years. The market was also helped by the weaker yen, which benefits Japanese exporters. The yen has fallen from a peak of under ¥80 to the dollar in 2012 to around ¥120, following the Bank of Japan's most recent QE announcement in October. Meanwhile, the dollar continued to creep higher overnight as investors begin to think about next week's Federal Reserve policy meeting - and the possibility the central bank may signal it is closer to hiking rates. The Topix index, seen as a better measure of Jap...