Buying of AI-related stocks continued, pushing the index above the 68,000-yen level for the first time.

The Nikkei 225 surged sharply, closing at 68,402.13 yen—up 1,667.89 yen from the previous day (estimated trading volume: 2.54 billion shares)—marking its first close above the 68,000-yen level. Building on the momentum from U.S. markets, where technology stocks rallied the previous day, buying was led by semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks such as Kioxia Holdings <285A>, Advantest <6857>, and Fujikura <5803>. After opening higher, the Nikkei index steadily extended its gains throughout the session, reaching 68,700 in the mid-afternoon.

Fisco Japan03:41 ET

Stocks that moved or traded actively in the morning session.

*Rasa Kogyo <4022> 2,653 (+500): Buying surged as investors targeted a new high. *Nihon Dempa Kogyo <6779> 4,135 (+650): Bargain hunting dominated following the previous day’s sharp decline. *Terrascape <3915> 2,999 (+470): Successfully developed a quantum algorithm that exponentially accelerates DFT computation speed. *Musashi Precision Industries <7220> 9,650 (+1,410): Active price-range trading intensified as the stock emerged as a core player in AI-related sectors. *SCREEN Holdings <7735> 13,165 (+18)

Fisco Japan00:59 ET

[Stocks in Focus] Nikkei Average Surges Over 1,500 Yen; AI-Related Stocks See Heavy Buying, Breaching 68,000 Yen

On the 3rd, buying interest in generative AI-related stocks and Nikkei 225 futures was heavily concentrated. The Nikkei Stock Average broke through the key psychological level of 68,000 yen, rising as high as 68,293.88 yen—up 1,559.64 yen from the previous day—at 10:06 a.m. Kioxia Holdings Corp. (285A) topped the list by trading volume, with its turnover amounting to approximately 1.5 trillion yen, accounting for 30% of the total trading value on the Prime Market. Among the most actively traded stocks, Fujikura Ltd. (5803), ranked fourth by trading value, and Tokyo Electron Ltd. (8035), ranked eighth, both posted gains exceeding 10% from their opening prices.

Jiji Press21:29 ET

[Tokyo Stocks] Trading around 68,000 yen mid-morning (three days ago), supported by continued buying in AI-related shares.

(10:19) The Nikkei 225 average extended its gains, briefly surging more than 1,500 yen to surpass the 68,000 mark for the first time. In the U.S. market the previous day, technology stocks showed notable strength, with Marvell Technology and HP Inc. sharply rising. In Tokyo, buying continued in select semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks. However, "investors are cautious about high valuations, making profit-taking selling likely" (major securities firm), and over 30% of stocks on the Prime Market were...

Jiji Press21:28 ET

Market sentiment remains focused on semiconductor and AI-related stocks.

[Equity Opening Comment] On the 3rd, the Japanese stock market opened with buying interest and is likely to continue trading with a focus on semiconductor and AI-related stocks. U.S. markets on the 2nd saw the NY Dow rise by 228 points and the Nasdaq gain 7 points. Although selling initially dominated, markets reversed course after the April U.S. Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) showed job openings rose 11% month-over-month to 7.618 million, exceeding expectations and underscoring the resilience of the labor market. Rising crude oil prices due to uncertainty surrounding the situation in Iran have...

Fisco Japan19:36 ET

In the afternoon session, AI-related stocks rebounded as buying interest returned, limiting their downside.

The Nikkei 225 closed lower, finishing at 66,734.24 yen, down 200.09 yen (estimated trading volume: 2.74 billion shares). Profit-taking emerged following consecutive days of gains, and concerns also mounted over stalled negotiations between the U.S. and Iran toward ending hostilities. After opening lower, the index steadily declined throughout the session, dipping to an intraday low of 65,551.13 yen shortly after the afternoon trading session began. It later pared some losses after the results of the 10-year Japanese government bond auction were perceived as strong, supporting longer-term rates.

Fisco JapanJun 2 03:45 ET