Japan's Nikkei share average jumped more than 4% on Friday as investors scooped up stocks on renewed hopes for peace in the Middle East after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had cancelled planned strikes against Iran. The Nikkei was up 4.06% to 66,822.56, as of 0025 GMT. The broader Topix gained 2.2% to 3,914.74. President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States and Iran could sign a peace deal as soon as this weekend that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, but Iran countered that it had not reached a final decision on an agreement. In Japan, technology shares led the Nikkei's gain, with chip-related Advantest and Tokyo Electron jumping 8.8% and 10.49%, respectively. Memory chipmaker Kioxia rose 5.94%. Technology investor SoftBank Group was up 3.34%. Staffing agency Recruit Holdings and camera and audio equipment maker Sony Group fell more than 1% each. All but four of the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33 industry sub-indices rose. The mining sector fell 1.02% to become the worst performer.
Japan's Nikkei jumps on renewed hopes for Middle East peace
Japan's Nikkei share average surged over 4% on Friday, driven by renewed hopes for Middle East peace after U.S. President Trump canceled planned strikes against Iran. Technology shares, particularly chipmakers like Advantest and Tokyo Electron, led the gains. The broader Topix also saw a significant increase as investors reacted positively to potential de-escalation.
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