SoftBank jumps about 18% as tech-led rally lifts Nikkei 225 to record

Tokyo markets reopened after an extended Golden Week holiday to a sharp technology-led rally that pushed Japan’s benchmark higher. Reuters reported the Nikkei 225 rose 3.38% to 61,523.36 in early trade, marking an intraday record as investors caught up with strong sector earnings and improving geopolitical sentiment.

Market participants said robust quarterly results across key tech names and optimism about a potential agreement in the Middle East underpinned the move. Reuters highlighted that positive results from Advanced Micro Devices helped lift global sentiment, while Bloomberg-sourced reports showed SoftBank Group shares jumped roughly 18% in the session, making it one of the largest contributors to the Nikkei’s advance.

The rally had knock-on effects across the currency and fixed-income markets. Reuters coverage noted a firmer yen and renewed demand for Japanese government bonds as traders rebalanced positions after the holiday. A stronger yen can weigh on exporters’ profit outlooks, yet in the current episode technology and semiconductor-related stocks outperformed, reflecting global AI- and chip-driven investor flows.

The episode underscores how closely Tokyo’s equity market is tracking global tech momentum. The post-holiday “catch-up” saw Tokyo prices align with Wall Street’s recent gains in the AI and chip complex, while easing regional tensions added to risk-on sentiment. Officials’ past interventions in currency markets remain an important background risk for traders assessing earnings sensitivity to exchange-rate moves.

Analysts caution that while the record highs are supported by strong sector results and improved risk appetite, rapid rallies increase near-term volatility and raise the possibility of profit-taking. Investors will watch upcoming corporate earnings, yen dynamics and geopolitical developments closely; strategists advise active risk management given the speed of the recent move.