Japan's Nikkei rallies as AI exuberance overrides Iran war concerns

Tokyo's Nikkei share average rose on Wednesday as renewed interest in artificial intelligence overpowered worries about tensions in the Middle East. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index climbed 0.43% to 65,549.88, bouncing back from an early decline. The broader Topix index also gained 0.24% to 4,059.87.

Business confidence among major Japanese manufacturers hit its highest mark since December 2021 in September, driven by strong demand for semiconductors and data center-related products, according to a Reuters monthly survey released on Wednesday. Meanwhile, despite concerns about the Iran war and increasing oil prices weighing on US markets, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index still gained 1.3%.

Verizon's recent agreement with Corning to supply high-density optical fiber for AI infrastructure sparked a boost in Japanese cable makers like Fujikura, noted Maki Sawada, an equities strategist at Nomura Securities. Semiconductor and AI-related shares have been performing exceptionally well, contributing positively to the Nikkei 225 index, Sawada explained.

Japanese equities had to contend with a stronger yen, which held near a seven-month high as traders anticipated the Bank of Japan to initiate rate hikes at the upcoming meeting. However, once the initial sell-off subsides, analysts predict a shift towards buying opportunities on dips, according to Sony Financial Group analysts.

On the Nikkei 225 index, there were 109 advancing stocks against 116 declining ones. The largest percentage gainers were Furukawa Electric, up 13.20%, followed by Fujikura, which rose 8.75%, and Lasertec, gaining 6.56%. Conversely, the biggest losers included Kyowa Kirin, down 5.12%, Sumitomo Pharma, 5.02% lower, and Nikon, which fell 3.63%.