Japanese Shares Climb Toward Record Highs

2026-04-15 00:53 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1% to above 58,400, while the broader Topix Index added 0.8% to 3,785 on Wednesday, with the former pushing toward record levels seen before the Middle East conflict began amid hopes for a diplomatic solution to the war.

The US and Iran are reportedly preparing for a second round of peace talks in the coming days as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz deepen the global energy crisis.

Oil prices retreated back sharply, easing concerns over inflation and potential central bank tightening.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan is reportedly considering lifting its inflation forecast at this month’s policy meeting to reflect higher energy costs, though it is still expected to keep rates unchanged.

Technology stocks led gains, with Lasertec rising 3.7%, Advantest up 4.7%, and SoftBank Group climbing 5.5%.

Major banks also advanced, including Mitsubishi UFJ up 1.5%, Sumitomo Mitsui up 2.4%, and Mizuho Financial up 3.7%.



News Stream
Japanese Shares Climb Toward Record Highs
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1% to above 58,400, while the broader Topix Index added 0.8% to 3,785 on Wednesday, with the former pushing toward record levels seen before the Middle East conflict began amid hopes for a diplomatic solution to the war. The US and Iran are reportedly preparing for a second round of peace talks in the coming days as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz deepen the global energy crisis. Oil prices retreated back sharply, easing concerns over inflation and potential central bank tightening. Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan is reportedly considering lifting its inflation forecast at this month’s policy meeting to reflect higher energy costs, though it is still expected to keep rates unchanged. Technology stocks led gains, with Lasertec rising 3.7%, Advantest up 4.7%, and SoftBank Group climbing 5.5%. Major banks also advanced, including Mitsubishi UFJ up 1.5%, Sumitomo Mitsui up 2.4%, and Mizuho Financial up 3.7%.
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The Nikkei 225 Index went up by 1313 points or 2.32 percent on Tuesday to close at 57816 points. The rise was led by Softbank (11.64%), Advantest (8.74%) and Renesas Electron (7.23%).
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Asian Stocks Gain on US-Iran Deal Hopes
Asian equity markets climbed on Tuesday as optimism grew over the possibility of a longer-term agreement between the US and Iran, despite the collapse of peace talks over the weekend. President Donald Trump said Tehran had reached out to Washington just hours after the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices moved lower, easing inflationary pressures and reducing expectations that central banks will maintain or further tighten interest rate policy. Sentiment was also lifted by renewed enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and related technologies, with AI-linked equities in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan leading gains across the region.
2026-04-14