MW: Nikkei up 1.3% on last day of 2008, but ends year down 42.1%
HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Japanese shares ended higher for a fourth straight session Tuesday, capping the last trading day of 2008 on a positive note, even though the year proved to be one of the worst on record for the benchmark Nikkei 225 Average as well as bellwethers such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Sony Corp. The Nikkei rose 1.3% to end the half-day session at 8,859.56, tallying losses of 42.1% for the year. The broader Topix index gained 0.5% to 859.24, but lost 41.8% of its value during the tumultous year. Toyota slipped 1% and Sony gained 1.2% during the session, but both lost at least half their market capitalization in 2008, as did several other front-line stocks.
