Tokyo stocks rose Monday as investors cheered news that market-friendly Emmanuel Macron came out ahead of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the first round of France’s presidential election.
The French vote was being closely watched as a gauge of populist sentiment following the election of Donald Trump as US president and Britain’s vote to leave the EU.
Macron, a former banker and economy minister, won 23.7 percent of Sunday’s first-round vote, slightly ahead of National Front leader Le Pen with 21.5 percent, according to near-final results from the interior ministry.
The two go through to a second round on May 7. Nine other candidates were eliminated.
