The Nikkei 225 Index Closes 0.82% Higher

The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.8% to trade above 63,700 on Thursday, setting fresh all-time highs as strong corporate earnings and upbeat guidance reinforced investor confidence, while sustained demand for artificial intelligence-related stocks continued to drive gains. Japanese equities also mirrored a tech-led rally on Wall Street overnight, even as accelerating US inflation fueled concerns that the Federal Reserve could still opt for another rate hike. At the same time, markets remained focused on the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with discussions expected to prioritize trade relations. Among individual movers, gains were led by Kioxia Holdings (1.7%), Furukawa Electric (1.5%), Advantest (2.8%), Fanuc (10.4%) and Resonac Holdings (15.6%). In contrast, mining firm Mitsui Kinzoku fell 11.8% after issuing a weaker profit forecast for FY2027 despite projecting higher sales.

The Nikkei 225 Index went up by 512 points or 0.82 percent on Wednesday to close at 63255 points. The rise was led by Olympus (18.95%), Furukawa Electric (15.21%) and Hitachi Zosen (11.20%). On the downside, the weakerst performers were Nidec (-14.67%), Shimizu Corporation (-9.35%) and NSK (-8.85%).

The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.84% to close at 63,272 on Wednesday, reversing losses from earlier in the session as strong corporate earnings and sustained demand for artificial intelligence-linked stocks lifted sentiment. Local firms continued to report better-than-expected outlooks despite geopolitical headwinds from the Middle East conflict. Japanese equities also diverged from a tech-led selloff on Wall Street overnight, where hotter-than-expected US inflation data reduced expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Among top gainers, Kioxia Holdings (9.5%), Furukawa Electric (15.3%), Fujikura (3%), Sony Group (5.1%), and Mitsui Kinzoku (8%) advanced. Olympus also surged nearly 20% after issuing a stronger-than-expected profit forecast and announcing a share buyback program. In contrast, Nidec fell 13.9% after reporting suspected improper conduct related to product quality.