Japan’s Nikkei index ended trading on Thursday up 0.71%, closing at 61,867.43 points.
This was driven by strong performance in semiconductor stocks.
Meanwhile, the broader Topix index fell 0.54% to 3,952.5 points, due to pressure on the banking sector.
This positive performance came after Japan’s Advantest raised its annual operating profit forecast by 35%.
The company is benefiting from growing demand for chip testing equipment used in artificial intelligence applications.
The company’s stock jumped 10.85%, which had a positive ripple effect on other companies in the sector.
Tokyo Electron’s stock also rose 4.48%, and Kioxia’s stock climbed 2.92%.
Meanwhile, Murata Manufacturing’s stock posted gains of 2.97%, supported by continued global investment in AI infrastructure.
In contrast, financial sector stocks came under pressure, with shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group each falling by more than 3%.
Toyota Motor shares also fell significantly.
Meanwhile, Nomura Research shares posted the biggest loss on the Nikkei index after falling 6.52%.
Analysts believe that growing optimism regarding returns on artificial intelligence investments—especially following Microsoft’s statements about the success of its investments in this field—
This has helped bolster investor confidence in chip company stocks, despite continued volatility in global markets.
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