Nikkei 225 futures held near their highs in after-hours trading, supported by long positioning following Advantest's earnings announcement. The results included an upward revision to full-year guidance and the announcement of a share buyback, helping spur activity in semiconductor and AI-related stocks.
The December Nikkei 225 futures contract closed at ¥64,530, up ¥1,030 from the previous day. It opened at ¥64,610, with buying leading the market, and rose to ¥64,700 around mid-morning, although profit-taking at times pushed it down to ¥64,010. Short covering intensified near the close, and the contract ended back above the ¥64,000 level. It rose to ¥64,430 at the start of the afternoon session in cash equities, but at one point fell below ¥63,940 around mid-afternoon.
Advantest raised its full-year earnings forecast, lifting operating profit from ¥846 billion to ¥967 billion, above the market consensus. The company also announced a share buyback of up to ¥280 billion, and the earnings assessment is seen as potentially providing support for semiconductor and AI-related stocks.
The NT ratio rose to 16.15 times for the most actively traded futures contract, with semiconductor and AI-related stocks having a large impact on the index driving the Nikkei average higher. Meanwhile, with 70% of stocks declining on the TSE Prime Market, Nikkei 225 futures drew attention to the 75-day moving average and prompted short covering near the close.