25.02.202600:36:35UTC+00Nikkei 225 Hits New Record High

Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.3% to climb above 58,000 on Wednesday, setting a new record high as it followed a technology-led rebound on Wall Street and easing worries over potential disruptions from artificial intelligence. Market sentiment strengthened after Anthropic indicated it intends to pursue partnerships, boosting expectations that its Claude chatbot technology will complement, rather than replace, existing business models. Investors are also looking ahead to Nvidia’s earnings for clearer indications of AI-related demand.

Japanese equities received further support from a sharp depreciation of the yen, after reports that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed concern about additional interest rate hikes in a meeting last week with Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda. Technology stocks led the market higher, with notable gains in Advantest (+1.9%), Disco Corp (+4.3%), and Tokyo Electron (+2.4%). Other strong performers included Furukawa Electric (+1.6%), JX Advanced Metals (+6.6%), and Nitto Boseki (+5.2%).