Nikkei 225 Hits Record High as Nvidia Spurs Rally
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- Nikkei 225 rose to an all‑time high of 59,000 before closing at 58,753.39, extending its record‑high streak to a third straight session.
- Japanese government tapped Ayano Sato and Toichiro Asada as new central bank board members, both dovish and aligned with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's growth‑oriented policies.
- Nvidia posted fiscal fourth‑quarter results that topped Wall Street expectations, with revenue $68.13 billion (vs $66.21 billion estimate) and adjusted EPS $1.62 (vs $1.53 forecast), driven by a 75% surge in its data‑center segment.
- South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rose about 5% and over 2% respectively after Nvidia's results, while LG Innotek surged nearly 14% and Seoul Semiconductor 13%.
- U.S. equities rose, with the S&P 500 up 0.81% to 6,946.13, the Nasdaq Composite up 1.26% to 23,152.08, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.63% to 49,482.15, supported by Nvidia and Oracle.
- Bank of Korea left its base rate unchanged at 2.5%, in line with expectations.
- TOPIX Information & Communication index climbed 2.6%, building on the previous day's 0.58% gain.
Why it matters: Investors benefit from the rally as equity valuations climb across Japan, South Korea, and the United States, while the yen may face pressure from dovish policy expectations tied to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's growth agenda. The Bank of Korea's decision to keep rates unchanged and Nvidia's robust earnings further buoy AI‑related and broader market sentiment.
