Japan's Nikkei hits record high as automakers rise on weaker yen

By Junko Fujita

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s Nikkei share average extended their gains from last week to hit a record high on Monday, tracking the Dow Jones’s higher finish last week, as a weaker yen boosted automakers’ stocks.

The Nikkei rose 0.7% to 43,683.56 as of 0137 GMT. The broader Topix also scaled a record peak, gaining 0.58% to 3,125.6.

Japanese shares rallied this month on renewed optimism over the domestic corporate outlook as the impact of U.S. tariffs became clearer.

“Domestic equities kept the momentum from last week. There was an expectation that foreign investors would continue buying Japanese stocks,” said Seiichi Suzuki, chief equity market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Laboratory.

Fast Retailing gained 1.2% to lend the biggest boost to the Nikkei.

Automakers ros