Mumbai, June 17 -- Japanese equities ended higher on Wednesday, with the Nikkei 225 Index rising 0.72% to a record closing high of 69,902. Investor sentiment was supported by stronger-than-expected trade data, which reinforced confidence in the outlook for Japan's economy and corporate earnings.

Official data showed that exports increased 17% year-on-year in May, marking the fastest growth since November 2022, driven by robust demand for automobiles and semiconductor-related products.

The gains also followed the Bank of Japan's decision a day earlier to raise its policy interest rate by 25 basis points to 1%, a move aimed at addressing inflation pressures and supporting the Japanese yen.

Meanwhile, investors continued to monitor develo...