{
  "id": 9711482,
  "title": "Japanese shares rise on AI-shares rally, dividend hunt",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/japanese-shares-rise-on-ai-shares-rally-dividend-hunt-9711482",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-25T05:53:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40441199/japanese-shares-rise-on-ai-shares-rally-dividend-hunt"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Japanese shares experienced a surge on Friday as AI-related stocks gained ground and investors anticipated mid-term dividend eligibility on Monday, according to market data. The Nikkei index increased 1.23% to 66,318.14 by midday, while the Topix broad index climbed 1.19% to 4,123.73. Strategist Daisuke Hashizume from Daiwa Securities noted that investors were purchasing stocks to secure dividend payouts, and the demand for chip-related stocks further bolstered the market.\n\nBank shares, renowned for their higher dividend yields, led the rally among the 33 industry sub-indexes on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), surging 3.23%. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) exhibited the most significant support for the Topix's gain, rising 3.02%, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group climbed 2.9%. Notably, chip-related stocks Tokyo Electron and Advantest contributed the most to the Nikkei's gain, with Tokyo Electron advancing 4.04% and Advantest 2.45%.\n\nSolid economic indicators further bolstered the strength of technology stocks, as emphasized by Hashizume. Moreover, the US and Japanese central banks signaled their commitment to curbing inflation through rate hikes, which heightened investor confidence in stocks. However, SoftBank Group, a technology investor, experienced a decline of 2.63% following Oracle's shares slipping 3% overnight. The decline stemmed from a reported \"force majeure\" notice from Oracle to a Blue Owl unit, the developer of a large New Mexico data center, citing potential delays in securing power for the project. SoftBank shares are co-investors in the \"Stargate\" infrastructure project alongside Oracle and OpenAI. Out of the over 1,500 stocks trading on the TSE's prime market, 68% experienced gains, 27% fell, and 3% closed flat.",
  "summary": "TOKYO: [Japanese shares rose on Friday ]( https://Japanese shares rise on AI-shares rally, dividend hunt)as AI-related stocks gained and investors bought ahead of Monday’s deadline to qualify for mid-term dividends. The Nikkei was up 1.23% to 66,318.14 by the midday break. The broader Topix rose 1.19% to 4,123.73. “Investors picked up stocks to secure the right to dividend payouts, but moreover,…",
  "key_points": [
    "AI-related stocks surge, driving Japanese shares higher",
    "Bank shares lead rally with 3.23% gain, MUFG and SMFG top performers",
    "US and Japanese central banks' inflation-curbing measures boost investor confidence"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Investors' pursuit of dividend payouts and gains in AI-related stocks signals a shift in market priorities, boosting confidence in technology shares and bank stocks with high dividend yields.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Japanese shares rise on AI-shares rally, dividend hunt",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/japanese-shares-rise-on-ai-shares-rally-dividend-hunt",
        "published": "2026-09-25T03:06:42.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}