Japan’s Nikkei hits record high on Wall Street gains, weaker yen

Japan's Nikkei share average hit a record high on Friday, underpinned by the strength on Wall Street overnight and as a weaker yen prompted investors to buy automakers. The Nikkei rose to as high as 41,087.75 earlier in the session, crossing the 41,000 level for the first time. The Nikkei is on course for its fourth straight session of gains and, at current levels, is poised to jump 5.5% this week.