FX.co ★ Japanese Shares Gain as US Government Reopens

On Thursday, the Nikkei 225 Index experienced an increase of 0.43%, closing at 51,282, while the broader Topix Index advanced by 0.67% to reach 3,382, marking new record highs. This uptick followed President Donald Trump's enactment of legislation that concluded the most prolonged US government shutdown in history. Global sentiment was further buoyed by the optimistic prospect of the Federal Reserve initiating more rate cuts in response to emerging signs of weakness within the US labor market. In Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi encouraged the Bank of Japan to maintain low interest rates. Notable stock gainers included Fujikura, which rose by 3.1%, Advantest by 4.2%, Mitsubishi UFJ by 2.1%, Tokyo Electric Power by 6.2%, and Furukawa Electric by a notable 12.2%. Toyota Motor's shares climbed slightly by 0.3% after the company announced a significant investment plan of up to $10 billion in the US over the coming five years to bolster its operations. Conversely, SoftBank Group saw its shares dip by 3.4%, continuing a downward trend with a cumulative decline of roughly 25% from its record highs amid escalating losses related to its technology and AI investments.