Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock average rose for the 14th straight day Friday, matching its longest-ever winning streak last seen in the early 1960s as a weak yen added to expectations for solid first-half earnings among listed Japanese companies.

The Nikkei 225 average ended up 9.12 points, or 0.04 percent, from Thursday at 21,457.64, its highest close since October 1996. The broader Topix, including all first-section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, finished 0.60 point, or 0.03 percent, higher at 1,730.64.

The Nikkei last scored a 14-straight-day gain in a period between December 1960 and January 1961, when Japan's economy was expanding rapidly in the run-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.