09.10.202501:02:48UTC+00Japanese Shares Gain as SoftBank Soars

On Thursday, the Nikkei 225 index rose by 1.3% to surpass 48,300, while the broader Topix Index saw a 0.4% increase to reach 3,248. This recovery followed earlier declines and was largely driven by an over 8% surge in SoftBank Group's stock, spurred by its robust expansion into the field of artificial intelligence. The investment powerhouse disclosed a $5.4 billion agreement to acquire the robotics division of Swiss engineering firm ABB and announced that its UK-based chip designer, Graphcore, intends to invest $1.3 billion in India. This upswing also boosted other technology stocks associated with AI, including Advantest, which climbed 0.6%, Disco Corp at 1.8%, and Tokyo Electron rising by 1.5%. The upward trend mirrored the strong performance of U.S. chipmakers overnight, which propelled the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite to reach new record highs, fueled by enthusiasm over AI-related transactions. Meanwhile, investors remain focused on the policy trajectory in Japan in light of the election of Sanae Takaichi, a pro-stimulus candidate, as the nation's next prime minister.