FX.co ★ Japanese Shares Rise on Wall Street Boost

The Nikkei 225 Index rose by 1% to approximately 37,800, while the broader Topix Index increased by 0.5% to 2,785 on Wednesday, breaking a three-day decline. This positive shift was fueled by gains on Wall Street that bolstered investor confidence. In the U.S., a tech rally led by Nvidia, which jumped nearly 3% to regain its status as the most valuable publicly traded company ahead of Microsoft, contributed to the optimistic market environment. In Japan, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda reaffirmed the central bank's willingness to raise interest rates should economic and inflation forecasts be realized, underscoring the potential for a cautious transition toward policy normalization. He mentioned that Japan's economy is maintaining a moderate recovery, driven by robust corporate profits and strong business sentiment, despite some ongoing weaknesses. Tech stocks were at the forefront of local gains, with Advantest rising 3.2%, Disco gaining 1.5%, and Tokyo Electron increasing by 1.5%.