Japan's Nikkei breaches 40,000 level as investor sentiment flies high

A man looks at an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo. - AP

TOKYO: Japan's main stock benchmark breached 40,000 points for the first time to end Monday at a record closing high, as corporate governance reform and solid valuations continue to pave the way for long-term global investor interest.

As technology shares jumped, tracking their U.S. counterparts, the Nikkei share average finished the day up 0.5% at 40,109.23.