Tokyo markets continued to advance, with the Nikkei 225 closing ¥553.84 higher at ¥67,524.06 and the TOPIX closing at a record high of 4,139.00. Bank shares were bought as the yen weakened, while buying also spread to AI and semiconductor stocks in the afternoon session.
Tokyo stocks closed sharply higher. The Nikkei 225 ended ¥553.84 higher at ¥67,524.06, while the Tokyo Stock Price Index, or TOPIX, rose 38.39 points to 4,139.00, a record high. 63% of stocks gained, and trading value was ¥9.4421 trillion.
In the foreign exchange market, the dollar rose against the yen to the low ¥159 range. As crude oil futures rose amid concerns about worsening tensions in the Middle East, the dollar-yen rate moved into a high range for the first time in about two weeks since the Japan-U.S. coordinated intervention.
In the bond market, futures continued to decline. The benchmark long-term government bond futures contract fell from the previous day, while the yield on the newly issued 10-year government bond, the benchmark for long-term interest rates, rose. A preliminary reading put the unsecured overnight call rate at 0.977%.
In commodity markets, Tokyo crude oil futures surged. The settlement price for the benchmark contract rose ¥4,160 from the previous day to ¥75,040, with WTI-related factors and the weaker yen against the dollar supporting prices throughout the day. Gold futures continued their sharp advance for a sixth consecutive session. The benchmark gold futures contract on the Osaka Exchange stood at ¥23,087.
Economic data showed that the money stock M3 rose 1.4% year on year in July, while women accounted for 46.9% of those passing the national civil service examination for general administrative positions.
In related news, Okuda Hiroshi (奥田 碩) died at the age of 93.