Japan's Nikkei rallies to record close as AI shares shine

[TOKYO] Japan’s Nikkei share average soared to a record-high close on Friday (May 22) as AI shares rallied on the back of gains for US peers.

The Nikkei ended the day up 2.7 per cent at 63,339.07, despite failing to breach the all-time intraday peak of 63,799.32 from May 14.

The broader Topix added 1 per cent to 3,892.46.

A closely watched US chip share gauge, the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index, advanced 1.3 per cent overnight.

Japanese equities have stormed back from multi-week lows hit on Wednesday, buoyed in large part by signs the Iran war may be reaching a conclusion, which have also helped lower oil prices and global bond yields.

“While the correction in Japanese equities – particularly AI stocks – could linger, we do not expect it to become prolonged or severe,” BofA Securities strategists Masashi Akutsu and Tetsuhiro Takuyama wrote in a report.

“From a medium-term perspective, we maintain a preference for AI-related names and a bullish stance on Japanese equities.”

On Friday, AI-focused investor SoftBank Group was by far the biggest support for the Nikkei, contributing 578 of the index’s total 1,655-point gain with an 11.9 per cent surge. Chip-equipment heavyweight Tokyo Electron was another strong contributor, reversing initial losses to finish with a 2.1 per cent advance.

Notably, though, the split among Nikkei constituents was much more balanced, with 120 rising, 100 falling and five ending flat.

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In the broader market, 16 of the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s 33 industry groups gained, led by a 6.8 per cent jump for nonferrous metals - a category that included data centre cable makers Furukawa Electric and Fujikura, which rose 8.9 per cent and 7.8 per cent, respectively. REUTERS