Nikkei ends up 1.65% led by tech stocks
Japanese stocks bucked the weak regional trend as tech stocks surged fueled by Nvidia's record high close overnight amid positive sentiment around AI adoption.
The Nikkei average closed up 1.65 percent at 39,584.58, after having hit 39,615.59 in intraday trading, a level last seen on January 31.
The broader Topix index settled 0.81 percent higher at 2,804.69. Advantest, Tokyo Electron and SoftBank Group surged 4-6 percent.
Automakers ended mostly lower as Japan's top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa reiterated that U.S. auto tariffs are unacceptable and it is in the national interest to protect the auto industry.
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