The Nikkei Average rose by more than 700 yen at one point in morning trading, climbing into the ¥64,600 range. Higher US stocks and buying of semiconductor-related shares were reported to have driven the market.
The Nikkei Average extended its gains in the Tokyo stock market on the morning of the 18th, with buying orders leading from the open. At 10:00 a.m., the index was up ¥556.59 from the previous day at ¥64,692.84, while the TOPIX was down 16.39 points at 4,077.80, showing weakness in contrast to the Nikkei Average.
In the US market the previous day, lower long-term interest rates and declines in crude oil futures supported investor sentiment, with buying spreading mainly across technology stocks. This trend carried over into the Tokyo market, where semiconductor-related stocks drove gains. Among individual stocks, Advantest and Tokyo Electron posted sharp gains, while expectations for expanding AI-related demand supported capital inflows. SoftBank Group also showed steady price performance.
Meanwhile, other major stocks were mixed. Toyota Motor was flat, while Sony Group and Fast Retailing traded weakly. Market participants remained limited in their pursuit of further gains ahead of the release of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy decision and the governor's press conference.