Japanese Stocks Jump on Iran Peace Hopes

2026-04-01 00:31 By Joshua Ferrer 1 min. read

The Nikkei 225 Index jumped 5.2%, its biggest daily rise since April 2025, to close at 53,740, while the broader Topix Index surged 5% to 3,671 on Wednesday, snapping a four-session losing streak amid hopes of de-escalation in the Middle East conflict.

President Trump said the US could end military attacks on Iran within two to three weeks and that Tehran would not need to reach a deal as a prerequisite for the conflict winding down.

However, uncertainty remained as Iran’s Foreign Minister rejected a ceasefire and instead demanded a full end to the war with guarantees and compensation.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan's quarterly tankan survey showed business sentiment among large Japanese manufacturers improved in the three months to March, a sign that increasing economic uncertainty from the Iran conflict has yet to hit morale.

Nearly all sectors advanced, led by chip and AI-related shares.

Advantest and SoftBank Group jumped 10.7% and 5.9% respectively, while Tokyo Electron gained 5.5%.



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