Overview
- Japan’s Nikkei finished up 1,163.74 points at 51,028.42, topping the 51,000 mark for the first time in about three weeks, while TOPIX closed at a record high.
- Large-cap technology names led gains, with SoftBank Group surging and AI-linked robotics and semiconductor plays such as Fanuc and Yaskawa Electric advancing.
- Weak U.S. ADP employment data reinforced expectations for additional Federal Reserve cuts, helping U.S. equities rally on Dec. 3 and feeding through to Tokyo.
- The yen traded in the mid-155 per dollar range and later touched the 154s as traders weighed potential Fed easing and market talk on Fed leadership favoring easier policy.
- Japan’s 10-year government bond yield rose to around 1.91%, the highest level in roughly 18 and a half years, highlighting a split between buoyant equities and firmer long-term rates.