TOKYO -- As the countdown continues to the U.S. presidential election Nov. 8, infrastructure-related stocks are quietly gaining ground in the Japanese market as one of the few safe bets ahead of the highly unpredictable political contest.
Muted stock performance here defies conventional wisdom forecasting choppy activity during the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election. The Nikkei Stock Average posted a second consecutive gain Tuesday to close at 16,735 points, coming back to a level just shy of 16,807 logged Sept. 21 when the Bank of Japan announced its new monetary policy framework.