The Nikkei Average closed sharply higher, with buying concentrated in semiconductor-related stocks. Against the backdrop of strong U.S. jobs data and gains in the SOX, the upward trend continued for much of the session in the Tokyo market.
The Nikkei Average posted a sharp further gain in today's Tokyo market, closing at ¥66,399.84, up ¥1,378.90 from the previous day. At one point during the session, the gain exceeded ¥1,600.
In the U.S. market's wake, buying centered on AI- and semiconductor-related stocks, while a sharp gain in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) spread to the Japanese market. Gains in South Korea's KOSPI also encouraged buying in stocks with a high contribution to the index.
Among individual stocks, Kioxia Holdings and SoftBank Group attracted buying, while semiconductor manufacturing equipment stocks such as Advantest, Tokyo Electron and Lasertec saw active trading. By contrast, major bank stocks including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group were weak.
On the TSE Prime Market, 633 stocks rose and 885 fell. The top 5 positive contributors to the Nikkei Average, SoftBank Group, Advantest, Tokyo Electron, Kioxia and Ibiden, lifted the index by approximately ¥1,328 in total.