Japan’s Nikkei Rises for Third Straight Session

2026-01-29 00:43 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The Nikkei 225 Index inched up 0.03% to close at 53,376 on Thursday, marking its third consecutive session of gains, led by chip and memory stocks on upbeat earnings and positive cues from Wall Street.

Advantest surged over 5% on record Q3 sales and profits, fueled by strong AI-related demand for SoC and memory testers, while raising its full-year profit forecast by 21.4%.

Memory maker Kioxia Holdings jumped 1.6% to a new all-time high amid a global rally in memory stocks driven by robust AI demand.

Export-oriented shares also stabilized after recent pressure from a stronger yen, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (up 2.1%), Toyota Motor (up 3%) and Sony Group (up 0.8%).

Investors remained attentive to currency market volatility, as a strong yen typically weighs on domestic equities.

Political uncertainty ahead of the Feb. 8 lower house snap election added to the cautious backdrop.



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