Nikkei jumps 3.63% as S&P rallies

Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped on Thursday, May 21, 2026, as a rebound in U.S. stocks fed through to Asian trading and chip-related shares advanced. Reuters reported that stocks rose across the region after forecast-beating Nvidia results, a suspended Samsung Electronics strike and signs that some vessels had resumed passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Japan’s benchmark was up about 3.5% in live market data, close to the 3.63% gain cited in social-media posts, while U.S. stock futures also pointed higher. Bitcoin and gold also traded near the levels shown in the post circulating on X. Yahoo Finance showed bitcoin at $77,946.52, up 1.74%, around the same time, while Trading Economics listed gold at $4,532.79 an ounce on May 21, close to the quoted $4,534.78. Those figures indicate the post broadly matched prevailing market prices, even if exact levels moved as trading continued. (money.usnews.com) ### Why did Japanese stocks jump at the same time as U.S. futures? Reuters said the immediate drivers were Nvidia’s earnings, relief in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the suspension of a Samsung workers’ strike. In the same Reuters report, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan climbed, South Korea’s KOSPI surged, and Taiwan’s market also rose, showing the move was regional rather than limited to Tokyo. (finance.yahoo.com) Google Finance said the S&P 500 gained 1.1% on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and the Nasdaq rose more than 1.5%, giving Asian investors a stronger U.S. lead-in before Thursday’s session. CNN’s market page also showed the S&P 500 at 7,432.97, up 1.08%, after the U.S. close. ### Was the Nikkei really up 3.63%? Investing.com showed the Nikkei 225 at 61,893.00, up 2,088.59 points, or 3.49%, in live pricing on May 21. (money.usnews.com) Social-media screenshots citing a 3.63% gain were therefore within the range of intraday moves, but not a final official close based on the data reviewed here. Reuters’ market coverage described Japanese shares as part of a broader rally in Asia tied to chipmakers and easing concern over energy shipments. (google.com) That aligns with the direction of the move shown in the post, even if the exact percentage varied by timestamp. (investing.com) ### What about bitcoin and gold moving up together? Yahoo Finance listed bitcoin at $77,946.52, up 1.74%, while CoinMarketCap and Crypto.com showed bitcoin trading in the high-$77,000 range on May 21. The X post’s bitcoin figure of $77,904.99 was therefore consistent with live market pricing. Trading Economics showed gold at $4,532.79 an ounce on May 21 after $4,543.59 on May 20. (money.usnews.com) That placed bullion very near the level shown in the post. Gold’s firmness alongside rising equities suggested multiple trades were moving at once, though Reuters in the cited market report focused mainly on equities, chip shares and shipping developments. (finance.yahoo.com) ### How much of this came from one social-media post? The X post from @keizai_sokuho appears to have captured a real-time snapshot rather than introduced new market-moving information. The more durable reporting came from Reuters and market data services showing a broader rise in Asian equities, higher U.S. futures and live moves in bitcoin and gold on May 21. (tradingeconomics.com) Thursday’s next markers are U.S. cash trading, whether S&P 500 futures hold their gains, and whether bitcoin remains near $78,000 and gold near $4,530 an ounce as the session develops. (google.com) (money.usnews.com)