In the afternoon session on the 29th, the Nikkei 225 extended its gains modestly. Advantest's surge pushed the index higher, while the dollar-yen rate remained soft.
In the afternoon session on the 29th, the Nikkei 225 opened up ¥172.06 at ¥64,126.25, then rose more than ¥800 at one point on Advantest's upward earnings revision and announcement of a share buyback before paring its gains. The Nikkei 225 extended its gains modestly, with trading volume estimated at around 1 billion shares. Among related stocks, Advantest led the gains, while Hitachi and NEC fell.
After extending its gains the previous day, the U.S. stock market initially attracted buying following the FOMC's decision to leave policy unchanged, but movements in semiconductor stocks influenced the range of index fluctuations in the afternoon session. Trends in the U.S. semiconductor stock index also affected the Nikkei, with Advantest's rise pushing the Nikkei 225 higher.
The dollar-yen rate softened from the ¥158 level to the low ¥157 level. The decline in U.S. interest rates following the FOMC decision accelerated dollar selling.
Among economic indicators, the October Consumer Confidence Index is due to be released in Japan, while the Bank of Japan's monetary policy meeting is scheduled to be announced on the 30th. In afternoon trading, ASAHI EITO Holdings and Convano hit their daily price limits, while Advantest and Kioxia Holdings were among the top contributors to gains.