The Nikkei Average extended its gains against a backdrop of easing US CPI, closing at ¥68,308.59 to recover the 68,000 level for the first time in about one month. Yomiuri 333 also hit a record high, with AI and semiconductor-related stocks leading the market.
Tokyo stocks rose across the board on the 13th, with the Nikkei Average and TOPIX both benefiting from gains in US technology stocks. The Nikkei Average closed at ¥68,308.59, up ¥784.53 from the previous day, recovering the 68,000 level for the first time in about one month. TOPIX rose 37.04 points to 4,176.04, setting a record closing high for the second consecutive day. Yomiuri 333 also hit a record high for the first time in about one month, rising ¥289.24 to ¥53,828.59.
Buying was concentrated in AI and semiconductor-related stocks, which led the market higher. Major semiconductor inspection equipment makers such as Advantest supported the market, while more than half of Yomiuri 333's constituent stocks rose. Trading volume in Yomiuri 333 was approximately 2.4 billion shares, and market activity picked up as the broader market advanced.
The prevailing view was that gains in US technology stocks, driven by improving inflation indicators in Japan and the United States, spilled over into the Tokyo market, while the reaction in South Korea's stock market also helped improve investor sentiment. AI and semiconductor-related stocks made a substantial contribution to the Nikkei Average's rise, helping support the strength of the broader market. The direction of US monetary policy and the progress of domestic companies' earnings announcements are expected to draw attention as factors underpinning the market going forward.