Overview
- Tokyo stocks bounced in morning trade on Dec. 17, with the Nikkei up 170 points to 49,553 after two sessions that knocked the index below 50,000.
- The latest selloff followed a 302-point drop in the Dow on Dec. 16 after mixed U.S. jobs data showed stronger payrolls but a higher 4.6% unemployment rate.
- Semiconductor-linked heavyweights, including SoftBank Group and Tokyo Electron, faced selling as caution around AI-related valuations persisted.
- The yen firmed into the upper ¥154 per dollar range in Tokyo and New York on expectations for additional BOJ tightening and a narrower Japan–U.S. rate gap.
- JPX-driven governance reforms have attracted foreign inflows since 2023, and fund managers say sustained gains now depend on companies shifting cash toward R&D and capital spending.