Nikkei 225 rose 0.59% to 68,713.80 on Friday, bringing the week's gain to 4.7%,
after US equities climbed and softened US producer prices lifted risk appetite.
Broader Topix advanced 0.51% to 4,197.20, a record closing high. US July PPI was
flat MoM, reinforcing market expectations the Fed will hold rates next month and
helping push the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to record closes overnight. Nomura
strategist Wataru Akiyama said the US rally, falling oil and easing
inflation-driven expectations of earlier Fed hikes are supporting Japanese
stocks. Among Nikkei components, Nexon jumped 19.85%—its largest one-day gain
since Feb 2024—Shift rose 7.57% and Nintendo gained 6.91%.