Japanese Stocks Surge as SoftBank Jumps 20%

2026-05-21 06:57 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The Nikkei 5225 Index rallied 3.14% to close at 61,684 while the broader Topix Index gained 1.64% to 3,854 on Thursday, as Japanese equities rebounded from earlier weekly losses amid renewed optimism surrounding artificial intelligence-related demand.

Strong earnings from Nidia boosted sentiment across global technology markets, while news that Samsung Electronics had averted a potential labor strike further supported semiconductor-linked shares.

In Japan, SoftBank Group led the rally, soaring nearly 20% following reports that OpenAI is preparing for a public listing.

Other technology-related stocks also posted strong gains, including Kioxia Holdings (7.9%), Fujikura (4.8%), Advantest (4.4%), Ibiden (14.3%) and Tokyo Electron (5.9%).

On the geopolitical front, President Donald Trump said the US was in the final stages of negotiations with Iran, fueling hopes that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz could soon reopen.



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