Nikkei up as Toyota, other exporters rise

TOKYO, Dec 21 (Reuters) The Nikkei average added 0.22 percent on Thursday, edging further beyond 17,000 as exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp. rose on a softer yen and steel stocks such as Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd. gained on prospects for a further industry shake-up.

Investors also picked up shares with high dividend yields such as utility firms including Tokyo Electric Power Co. and shipping companies, amid a view that the Bank of Japan will keep interest rates unchanged at its next policy meeting.

Japanese camera maker Pentax Corp. and optical glass maker Hoya Corp. rose before they announced they will merge operations by Oct.

1 next year. The announcement came just before the close of trading.

The Nikkei was up 36.79 points at 17,047.83, its highest close since May 9. The broader TOPIX index rose 0.26 percent to 1,671.30.

REUTERS CS PM1215