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Reuters reported that the Nikkei share average climbed 4.6 percent to close at 72,366.34 on Thursday, marking a new all-time high for the index. The advance reversed losses from the prior two trading sessions as investors responded to developments in the global technology sector. Nearly 80 percent of the more than 1,500 stocks listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s prime market finished the session higher.
The surge was sparked by U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology’s strong quarterly profit and revenue forecast, according to market analysis. This news reinforced optimism around the artificial intelligence theme that has been a key driver for Japanese equities this year. Semiconductor and related equipment manufacturers in Japan benefited directly from the spillover enthusiasm.
Advantest surged 8.5 percent while Tokyo Electron gained 6.2 percent, Reuters data shows. Lasertec added 5.9 percent and SoftBank Group rose 4.1 percent as part of the broad-based technology rally. The gains underscored the heavy weighting of such names in the Nikkei average.
The broader Topix index rose a more modest 1.33 percent to finish at 4,016.47, the report indicated. This performance came despite mixed movements across other sectors as the focus remained squarely on AI-linked shares. Trading volume was elevated as participants repositioned portfolios in response to the overnight cues from Wall Street.
Nikkei Asia reported that as the AI rally has progressed, experts have highlighted solid earnings and modest valuations as factors that temper bubble fears in Japanese stocks. The benchmark had previously touched an intraday high of over 66,000 points in May before pushing to new records in June. Regional markets in South Korea and Taiwan have shown similar sensitivity to shifts in AI sentiment.
Global AI investment trends have supported the momentum, with one U.S. firm announcing plans to invest over 250 billion dollars in related infrastructure through 2035, according to industry releases. This has helped sustain interest in Japanese suppliers within the semiconductor ecosystem. Market watchers will monitor upcoming corporate earnings for signs of whether the rally can extend further.
