Japanese stocks hit 4-month high as trade detente hopes lift cyclicals

* Nikkei, Topix hit highest levels since early May
* Chip-related sector lead gains on U.S.-China trade hopes
* Reversal in value shares dissipates

By Hideyuki Sano
TOKYO, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Japanese shares posted solid
gains on Thursday, with both the Nikkei and the broader Topix
indexes hitting four-month highs, as signs of an easing in
U.S.-China trade frictions lifted cyclical stocks such as
machine makers.
The Nikkei share average .N225 rose 0.75% to 21,759.61,
while the broader Topix .TOPX advanced 0.72% to 1,595.10, both
reaching their highest since early May.
It was the eighth straight day of gains for the Nikkei,
during which it has risen 5.5 percent. In another positive sign,
in dollar terms, the Nikkei raced to its highest levels since
October.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday Washington has
agreed to delay increasing tariffs on $250 billion worth of
Chinese imports by two weeks after Beijing said it would exempt
16 types of U.S. products from import tariffs.
"Hopes for U.S.-China deals are driving the markets now. I
expect this to continue for the next few weeks," said Soichiro
Monji, senior economist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management.
"But once any deal is done, the rally will lose momentum as
the market will focus on the strength of the economy and by that
time, it is possible that there will be more signs of slowdown.
So now is the time to buy. If you wait, it will be too late," he
said.
Cyclical shares such as manufactures of semiconductor and
robotics, which are seen as closely dependent on demand in
China, rose sharply.
Fanuc Corp 6954.T rallied 2.2% and Keyence Corp 6861.T
gained 1.9%. Advantest 6857.T jumped 4.1% and Tokyo Electron
8035.T climbed 2.7% to a 15-month high.
The reversal of value-oriented stocks, such as banks and
automakers that had dominated the market until Wednesday, ran
out of steam. Growth stocks .TOPXG led gains with a rise of
0.8%, versus a 0.6% increase in value stocks .TOPXV .
Banking stocks .IBNKS.T fell 0.3% after rising more than
10% in the previous five sessions. Transport equipment shares
.ITEQP.T , which had gained more than 8% in the last five
sessions, were up 0.3%.
Online fashion retailer Zozo Inc 3092.T jumped 13.4%,
having catapulted as much as 18.9% at one point, after Yahoo
Japan Corp 4689.T said it aimed to buy 50.1% of its stake.
Yahoo Japan Corp 4689.T rose 2.4%. Elsewhere, Dai Nippon Printing Co Ltd 7912.T advanced 9.3%
after the company announced share buyback of up to 60 billion
yen, or 9.94% of its outstanding shares.
The turnover of the main board hit 2.77 trillion yen
($25.65 billion), the highest since Aug. 2.


($1 = 108.0100 yen)

(Editing by Subhranshu Sahu & Shri Navaratnam)