Nikkei rises as chips rally before Nvidia earnings; weaker yen supports
TOKYO: Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Wednesday, setting the benchmark index on course for a fourth straight session of gains, with a sharply weaker yen buoying the bourse's heavyweight exporters.
Semiconductor-related shares also got a boost from an overnight rally in their US peers, ahead of earnings from artificial intelligence chip leader Nvidia later on Wednesday.
The Nikkei added 0.5% to 37,918.86 by the midday recess.
It rose to as high as 38,178.73 at one point, but struggled to stay above the psychological 38,000 line. The broader Topix also advanced 0.5%.
While a weaker safe-haven yen amid an improvement in overall market sentiment globally supported the Nikkei in the latest session, 'one can't say the foreign-exchange market has stabilized,' said Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management.
Some additional push is needed to take the Nikkei firmly above 38,000, such as further positive developments in US tariff negotiations, he said.
Tech was the top performing Nikkei sector, with chip-testing equipment maker and Nvidia supplier Advantest the biggest gainer in index-point terms, followed by chip-making machinery manufacturer Tokyo Electron.
Advantest jumped 2.1%, accounting for 39 points in the Nikkei's 195-point rise, while Tokyo Electron contributed 14 points.
Overnight, the Philadelphia SE semiconductor index rose 3.4%, outperforming a 2% gain for the S&P 500.
Nikkei slips as stronger yen weighs, market lacks clear direction
Automakers also saw solid gains with the yen trading at around 144.30 per dollar, down from a one-month peak reached on Tuesday.
A weaker yen boosts the value of overseas revenues. Toyota rose 0.4%, and Honda jumped 1.7%.
Electronics exporters also benefited, with Sony advancing 1.3% and Nintendo up 1.6%.
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