The Nikkei 225 index rose 0.2% to around 39,730, while the broader Topix index rose 0.05% to 2,738 on Thursday, marking the fourth straight session of gains for Japanese stocks. However, caution prevailed as the Bank of Japan began its two-day policy meeting. The central bank is widely expected to raise interest rates and revise its inflation forecast higher on Friday, following hawkish remarks from senior BOJ officials.
Meanwhile, data showed that Japanese exports beat expectations in December, while imports also showed positive growth. Notable gains were seen in major stocks, including Fujikura (+2%), Advantest (+1.3%), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (+5.2%), IHI Corp (+2.8%), and Nintendo (+3.4%). SoftBank Group also jumped more than 3%, extending its recent rally after Trump announced a $500 billion AI investment initiative, which involves the company. (AL)
Source: Trading Economics
