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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Japanese Shares Scale Fresh Record Highs
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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The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1353 points or 2.36 percent on Wednesday to close at 58674 points. Leading the gains are Toho Zinc (9.65%), Mitsui Mining & Smelting (7.87%) and Screen Holdings (7.57%).
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Nikkei 225 Hits New Record High
Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index climbed 2.2% to close at 58,583 on Wednesday, marking a fresh all-time high as it tracked a tech-driven rebound on Wall Street amid easing concerns over potential artificial intelligence disruptions. Investors are also awaiting earnings from Nvidia for clearer signals on AI-related demand. Japanese equities drew additional support from a sharp weakening of the yen, following reports that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed concern about further rate hikes during a meeting last week with Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda. Takaichi also nominated two reflationist academics to the central bank’s policy board, reinforcing expectations that the BOJ will take a cautious approach to further rate increases. Techn and AI-related shares led the advance, including Fujikura (6.5%), Advantest (7.5%), Disco Corp (5.8%), and Tokyo Electron (4.2%). Other notable gainers were Furukawa Electric (4.5%), JX Advanced Metals (12.3%), and Nitto Boseki (5.7%).
2026-02-25