Japanese Shares Scale Fresh Record Highs

2026-02-26 00:39 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The Nikkei 225 Index advanced 0.9% to above 59,000 while the broader Topix Index rose 1.3% to 3,895 on Thursday, with both benchmarks notching fresh record highs as fading expectations of an imminent Bank of Japan rate hike underpinned risk appetite.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi nominated two reflation-leaning academics to the central bank’s policy board, reinforcing views that the BOJ will proceed cautiously with any additional policy tightening.

Japanese equities also followed Wall Street higher as software and other technology shares rebounded overnight.

However, upbeat earnings from Nvidia failed to lift its stock materially, highlighting lingering concerns about the durability of the AI-driven rally.

Notable gainers in Tokyo included index heavyweights such as Fujikura (+2.5%), JX Advanced Metals (+3.6%), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (+4%), SoftBank Group (-5.1%) and Mitsubishi UFJ (+2.9%).



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