The Nikkei average turned upward after a lower start. Toyota surged, Sekisui Chemical Co. reached a new high since listing, and J.Front Retailing Co. saw a strong performance, leading to buying of department store stocks.

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Today's outlook: The holiday mood continues.
With Europe closed for the holiday, the festive mood is expected to continue. Trading in the range of the 156 yen to 157 yen mid-range for the dollar-yen pair. While there may be temporary movements when buying and selling occurs, it is unlikely to create a significant trend. Tomorrow, there will be announcements such as the Tokyo CPI and the main opinions from the Bank of Japan meeting, so there is some expectation of movement based on the available information, but today is expected to continue with the Christmas mood.

Toyota Motor - Sharp rise in ROE, continues to be positively received due to reports of raising target. The company commented, "There is no specific target."
$Toyota Motor (7203.JP)$It is soaring. An article in the Nikkei electronic edition on the 25th reported that the company is considering raising its ROE target to 20%, double the current level, which continues to be viewed as significant news.

Sekisui Chemical Industry - 4-day rally to mass produce bendable Solar Cells, investing 310 billion yen, new factory in Sakai = Nikkei
$Sekisui Chemical (4204.JP)$Continues to rise for the 4th consecutive day. In the morning edition of Nihon Keizai Shimbun dated the 26th, it was reported that the company will invest approximately 310 billion yen in mass producing the next-generation bendable solar cells called 'perovskite type' and build a new factory in Sakai city. Following the report, the manufacturer of iodine, a raw material for perovskite-type solar cells, also saw a rise. $Ise Chemicals (4107.JP)$、 $K&O Energy Group (1663.JP)$High.

Mitsubishi UFJ, Dai-ichi Life HD, among others, with buying and selling activity crossing, slightly easing expectations of a rate hike at the January meeting ◇
$Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.JP)$As well as mega banks, etc. $Dai-ichi Life Holdings (8750.JP)$Major life insurers such as Sell and Buy are conflicting. Recently, long-term interest rates in the USA have been rising, providing a tailwind to domestic major financial institutions involved in US operations. However, domestically, the Bank of Japan's monetary policy is still perceived as dovish, weighing down on stock prices. Even in the previous day's speech by BOJ Governor Ueda, the lack of clear direction due to the expected content leaves uncertainty. The current situation is divided on whether to decide on a 0.25% rate hike at the monetary policy meeting in January next year.

J. Front continues its strong upward trend, with a 70% increase in final profits for the 3-11 month period benefiting from inbound tourism.
$J Front Retailing (3086.JP)$Continuing a strong upward trend with the 5-day moving average line as the support line, handling the selling items. The company announced its financial results for the third quarter of the fiscal year ending in February 2025 (from March 3 to November 24) after the close of trading on the 25th day. The net profit achieved a significant increase of 37.041 billion yen, up 71% from the same period last year, as inbound consumption has been driving revenue growth amidst the increasing number of foreign visitors to Japan.

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Mitsukoshi Isetan - Significant continued rise, J. Front achieves a significant increase in Q3 earnings, leading to strong buying in department store stocks.

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical - Significant rebound after 3 days, Oasis Management increased its shareholding of the company's stock from 7.54% to 10.10%.
$Kobayashi Pharmaceutical (4967.JP)$Significant rebound after 3 days. Oasis Management increased its shareholding in the company by purchasing more shares. This was revealed in the change report (5% rule) received on December 25. The shareholding ratio has increased from 7.54% to 10.10%.