The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.25% to 39,900, while the broader Topix Index slipped 0.2% to 2,725 in mixed trading on Wednesday, as Japanese stocks struggled for direction following a one-day holiday. Market sentiment was influenced by mixed results on Wall Street, amid President Trump's latest tariff escalation and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's comments suggesting the central bank is in no rush to cut interest rates further. In Japan, investors turned their attention to upcoming economic data, with machinery tool orders due Wednesday and producer inflation data expected Thursday. Among individual stocks, Advantest gained 1.8%, Mitsui OSK rose 1.9%, and SoftBank Group climbed 1.1%. However, losses were seen in Disco (-3.1%), IHI Corp (-2.9%), and Sony Group (-1.9%). In corporate news, Fujikura saw a notable 7% jump after reporting a 65.1% surge in profit for the nine months to December, reaching 59.1 billion yen compared to the same period last year.(Cay)

Source: Trading Economi