Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 surged more than 4% on Friday, with AI-linked technology stocks leading a broad market rally after strong earnings from Microsoft and Amazon reignited optimism over global spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The Nikkei 225 climbed 4.37% to 64,572.03, after briefly crossing the 65,000 mark during the session, while the broader Topix index gained around 1.5%. The rally mirrored an overnight surge on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq Composite rose nearly 3% as investors poured back into semiconductor and AI-related companies.
Leading the gains in Tokyo was SoftBank Group, whose shares jumped over 15%, hitting the daily upper circuit as investors doubled down on the conglomerate's AI investment strategy. Semiconductor equipment maker Advantest soared nearly 17% after raising its annual operating profit forecast by 35%, citing robust demand for AI chip-testing equipment. Tokyo Electron also rallied more than 8%, while other technology names such as Lasertec, Fujikura and Kokusai Electric posted strong gains.
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The catalyst came from the United States, where stronger-than-expected quarterly results from Microsoft and Amazon reinforced expectations that hyperscalers remain committed to heavy investments in AI infrastructure. The upbeat earnings triggered a sharp rally in chipmakers, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index climbing more than 8%. Memory stocks also rebounded strongly, with SanDisk surging around 26% and Micron Technology gaining over 18%.
The optimism spilled over into Asia. South Korea's equity market staged a historic rebound, with the Kospi recording its biggest-ever intraday gain as SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics rallied sharply, reflecting renewed investor appetite for AI hardware and memory manufacturers.
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