Stocks rose Friday in Tokyo on corporate forecasts for earnings growth this year as well as expectations for an agreement by the world's leading economies on stabilizing financial markets, DPA reported. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average surged 378.43 points, or 2.92 per cent, to close at 13,323.73. The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also up 30.55 points, or 2.45 per cent, at 1,278.62. The Tokyo market ended its week ahead of a meeting Friday of the finance ministers and central bank chiefs of the Group of Seven nations in Washington. Traders said investors expected the finance leaders to agree to steps to end the descent of world markets in the wake of the US subprime mortgage crisis and resulting credit crunch. Overnight gains on Wall Street also put investors in a bullish mood, which saw stocks rise in Tokyo for the first time since Monday. For the week, the Nikkei was up 0.2 per cent, but the Nikkei fell 0.8 per cent.
