Global Economy
Nikkei 225 Hits All-Time High: Tech and Semiconductors Fuel 5.8% Surge
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 5.8% to close at 62,962.50 points, setting a fresh record after a rally in global technology shares. Strong corporate results and renewed optimism around artificial intelligence lifted semiconductor-related stocks, with SoftBank Group surging more than 18%. A potential US–Iran agreement to ease tensions in the Strait of Hormuz added to positive market sentiment.
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Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 5.8% to finish at 62,962.50 points, posting a new all-time high after rebounding from recent holidays. The gains mirrored a worldwide rally in technology equities, underpinned by robust earnings from sector leaders and a revived appetite for artificial-intelligence-driven growth.
Semiconductor-linked stocks led the advance. SoftBank Group rocketed over 18% to its strongest daily performance since 2020 and reclaimed a six-month high, lifting peers including Advantest (up 6.8%) and Tokyo Electron (up 9%). Other technology names such as Fujikura, Lasertec and Disco Corp also posted meaningful gains, confirming strong investor demand for chip-industry equipment and exposure.
Market sentiment received a further boost from reports that the United States and Iran are nearing a one-page memorandum of understanding—spanning 14 points—aimed at de-escalating tensions. The proposed framework could eventually reopen the Strait of Hormuz and set the stage for broader nuclear negotiations, reducing a key source of geopolitical risk that has loomed over energy and trade flows.