The Nikkei stock index extended its gains Tuesday afternoon, briefly rising over 2 percent, as concerns eased about the emerging Omicron coronavirus variant, while large advances in SoftBank Group buoyed the market further.

As of 1 p.m., the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average was up 502.56 points, or 1.80 percent, from Monday at 28,429.93. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was 32.74 points, or 1.68 percent, higher at 1,980.28.

Every industry category gained ground, except for the farm and fishery sector. Major gainers were led by air transportation and marine transportation issues.

==Kyodo

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