Published on 09/30/2026 at 03:09 am EDT
(Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average rose nearly 2% on Wednesday, with AI-linked stocks tracking gains in US semiconductor firms, while lower oil prices overnight lifted economy-sensitive stocks.
The Nikkei closed 1.94% higher at 66,753.72, after briefly rising more than 2%.
The broader Topix climbed 1.67% to 4,108.65.
Overnight, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index advanced 1.3% despite US stocks ending slightly lower as Treasury yields continued to climb ahead of inflation and labour market data.
"The Nikkei rises when the US semiconductor index rises, even as overall US market declines, and this is the latest trend in the market," said Kazuaki Shimada, chief strategist at IwaiCosmo Securities.
Technology investor SoftBank Group rose 6.55%, while chip-linked shares Tokyo Electron and Advantest gained 2.69% and 1.03%, respectively.
Fibre-optic cable maker Fujikura climbed 5.94%.
Taiyo Yuden, a manufacturer of multi-layer ceramic capacitors to regulate power in AI servers, gained 2.27% after the company said it would form a business alliance with electronic parts maker TDK. Shares of TDK climbed 2.12%.
Peer Murata Manufacturing fell 2.94%.
Value shares rose, helping to recoup losses on the indexes after a majority of shares went ex-dividend following Monday's deadline to secure the right to mid-term dividend payouts.
"This shows the strength of the market fundamentals," Shimada said.
Banking shares rose, with Mizuho Financial Group jumping 4.52%. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial rose more than 3% each.
Of more than 1,500 stocks trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's prime market, 72% rose, 23% fell and 3% traded flat.
(Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Harikrishnan Nair)

Sumber : Reuters