Tokyo stocks up on buybacks after AI concerns ease

Tokyo stocks recorded a three-day rally on Wednesday, buoyed by alleviating concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) investment profitability and strong earnings reports, following a recent decline. The Nikkei Stock Average, which comprises 225 issues, surged 789.01 points, or 1.31%, to 61,248.59 points on Tuesday. The broader Topix index also rose by 35.68 points, or 0.92%, to 3,929.39 points.

On the Prime Market, textile, apparel, electric appliance, and bank stocks led the gains. The U.S. dollar appreciated to the upper 158 yen in Tokyo due to a widening interest rate gap between the U.S. and Japan, driven by the expectation of additional rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve in December.

Dip-buying persisted after the Nikkei stock index experienced a loss of over 7,200 points over the preceding five days, fueled by mounting apprehensions over AI regulation following a Democratic victory in the U.S. midterm elections. Investor confidence gradually stabilized as the market was given the opportunity to evaluate the situation more serenely, according to Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Co. He further noted that investors have come to perceive stringent AI regulation at the federal level or an abrupt cessation of state-level data center construction as improbable.

Market sentiment was further bolstered after CoreWeave Inc., a leading U.S. data center operator, unveiled robust earnings results after the close of Wall Street trading on Tuesday. The sharp decline in the company's corporate bonds had earlier sparked a sell-off, driven by skepticism surrounding AI-related investments in October, according to dealers.

Despite the initial negative impact on the market due to SoftBank Group Corp.'s net loss for the April-September period, strong trading in Wall Street futures and South Korea's tech-heavy Kospi index helped sustain buying momentum.