Nikkei hits nearly 5-year highs on soft yen, robust U.S. earnings

Reuters (24/4)- TOKYO- Japan's Nikkei share average climbed to its highest level in nearly five years on Wednesday on robust U.S. company earnings and as the yen resumed its downward slide towards 100 to the dollar. The benchmark Nikkei has surged 58 percent and the yen hasweakened 24 percent versus the dollar since mid-November, when Shinzo Abe, who became prime minister in December, promised bold monetary and fiscal expansionary policies during his election campaign. A senior dealer said that while movements in the stock market had been tied to the weakness in the yen, a time may come soon when the rally is not just a currency play, but one backed up by improvements in fundamentals, bringing in even more investors. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/24/markets-japan-stocks-idUSL3N0DB1UV20130424