Chip Stocks Rage, Nikkei Survives Earthquake Pressure
The Nikkei 225 index closed slightly higher by 0.1% at 50,635 on Tuesday, while the Topix index rose a very slight 0.02% to 3,385, after opening lower. The market managed to reverse initial losses thanks to the strengthening of technology stocks, which were the main drivers of the index's movement.
Positive sentiment in the global chip sector increased after US President Donald Trump approved a deal allowing Nvidia to resume shipping H200 series AI chips to China. In Japan, technology and chip-related stocks also rose, including SoftBank Group (up 0.8%), Lasertec (up 3.6%), Disco Corp (up 4.7%), and Tokyo Electron (up 1.3%). At the same time, investors are also bracing for an expected US interest rate cut this week, although the policy direction for 2026 remains unclear.
Beyond technical factors and global policy, the Japanese market is also overshadowed by negative sentiment from the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan's northeastern coast last night. Market participants are now awaiting a statement from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda at an event in London today, for further clues on the BoJ's future monetary policy direction, amid a combination of global risk factors, the Fed's policy, and the domestic aftermath of the earthquake. (az)
Source: Newsmaker.id
