Japan’s Nikkei Extends Gains on Tech Boost

The Nikkei 225 Index jumped 2.4% to above 68,000 on Thursday, advancing for a second straight session to its highest level in six weeks, as technology and artificial intelligence-related stocks led the gains. The rally came after Micron Technology issued an upbeat outlook, while Google began rolling out Gemini 4 Argon, its flagship AI model. A softer-than-expected US PCE inflation reading also prompted traders to reduce bets on a Federal Reserve rate hike this month, although elevated oil prices and bond yields continued to cloud the outlook. In Japan, central bank data showed manufacturing sentiment improved in the third quarter to its highest level in more than eight years. Notable gainers included Kioxia Holdings (4.1%), Advantest (4.7%), SoftBank Group (2.5%), Taiyo Yuden (2.5%) and Murata Manufacturing (4.5%).

The Nikkei 225 Index surged 1.94% to close at 66,754, while the broader Topix Index advanced 1.67% on Wednesday, ending a two-session decline as technology stocks led the rebound. Among the major movers, SoftBank Group, an investor in OpenAI, jumped 6.6% following reports that the artificial intelligence startup was seeking to raise at least $30 billion in new funding at a $1.4 trillion valuation. Other technology gainers included AI infrastructure-related stocks such as Kioxia Holdings (1.2%), Taiyo Yuden (2.3%) and Fujikura (5.9%). Sentiment also improved as oil prices fell sharply after Saudi Arabia restored around half of the capacity of its East-West pipeline and the Trump administration ordered another release of emergency reserves. The Nikkei posted a modest gain in September but recorded its first quarterly decline since the first quarter of 2025, weighed down by the prolonged US-Iran conflict, surging bond yields and the July selloff in AI-related stocks.

The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1313 points or 2.01 percent on Wednesday to close at 66795 points. Leading the gains are Sumco (9.54%), Resonac Holdings (7.65%) and Softbank (6.88%).