Nikkei rises 2.5 percent, Softbank jumps on Yahoo

TOKYO, Feb 4 - The Nikkei share average rose 2.5 percent on Monday, with Softbank Corp jumping 13 percent after Microsoft's $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo Inc.

Yahoo Japan Corp was untraded due to a glut of buy orders. Bank shares, including No. 1 Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group rose after news of a possible rescue plan for troubled U.S. bond insurers.

The benchmark Nikkei average .N225 ended the morning up 335.24 points at 13,832.40. The broader TOPIX index added 2 percent to 1,364.18.

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