Tokyo: Japan's Nikkei index rose by more than 1 percent on Thursday, recording gains for the third consecutive session, supported by technology stocks following the lead of their counterparts on Wall Street. The Nikkei index climbed 1.23 percent to 50,167.1 points, closing above the key 50,000-point level for the first time since Nov. 17. The broader Topix index also increased 0.39 percent to 3,368.57 points.

According to Qatar News Agency, the strong performance came after Wall Street extended its gains on Wednesday, with technology shares rebounding and expectations rising for a possible Federal Reserve interest-rate cut in December. In Japan, shares of the technology-investing SoftBank Group advanced 3.57 percent, posting gains for the second consecutive session.