Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsJapan’s blue-chip stock index has ended the year at its highest year-end finish on record, despite a small selloff today.The Nikkei stock average ended down 386.62 points, or almost 1%, today at 39,894 points.“There was much optimism in the first half of the year with hope for a favorable cycle in which wages increase in tandem with prices, alongside the weak yen for corporate profits.” Continue reading...