Nikkei 225 rallies past 63,000 this week

Japan’s Nikkei 225 pushed through 63,000 for the first time on May 7, 2026, when Tokyo markets reopened after a holiday break and investors chased technology shares. Reuters reported the benchmark hit 63,091.14 in the session and closed at a record 62,833.84, up 5.58% on the day. The move came as Wall Street indexes also reached highs overnight after upbeat results from Advanced Micro Devices fed demand for artificial-intelligence-linked stocks. Reuters also said signs of a possible U.S.-Iran peace deal and a firmer yen added to the risk-on tone. ### How did the Nikkei get above 63,000? May 7 was the key date. Reuters said the Nikkei’s 5.58% jump was its biggest one-day gain in more than a year and took the index through the 63,000 threshold for the first time. Takamasa Ikeda of GCI Asset Management told Reuters the day’s advance was led by chip shares after Advanced Micro Devices gave a strong forecast. Reuters said Tokyo investors were also catching up with gains made elsewhere during Japan’s market holidays. ### Which stocks stood out inside the rally? Olympus disclosed on May 12 that its board had approved a share repurchase program of up to 46 million shares, or 4.18% of shares outstanding excluding treasury stock, for as much as 60 billion yen. The company said 38,948,300 shares, worth up to 60 billion yen, were slated for an off-auction repurchase on May 13 through the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s ToSTNeT-3 system. Olympus said the broader repurchase period runs from May 13, 2026, to March 31, 2027, and may include open-market purchases on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. That buyback announcement helped put the company among the week’s notable movers, according to market reports and trading summaries tied to the earnings season. Sony Group said on May 8 that it would establish a facility to repurchase as much as 500 billion yen of common stock over the next year. Sony’s investor relations page also showed the company released its annual results and a corporate strategy presentation on the same date. ### What did Sony say in its earnings update? Sony said on May 8 that it expected annual net profit for the year ending March 2027 to rise 13% to 1.16 trillion yen, according to CNBC’s summary of the company’s results. CNBC reported Sony posted fourth-quarter revenue of 3.036 trillion yen, above analyst estimates compiled by LSEG, while operating profit of 164 billion yen missed expectations. Bloomberg reported Sony paired that outlook with a buyback of as much as 500 billion yen, or about $3.2 billion. The report said Sony projected operating profit of 1.6 trillion yen for the year through March 2027. ### Was this only about Japanese earnings? Reuters said no single factor drove the move. The news agency reported that U.S. technology earnings, especially from Advanced Micro Devices, were one catalyst, while easing concern over the Middle East and yen strength also supported sentiment. Hiroyuki Ueno of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management told Reuters that automakers remained weak because global competition had intensified. Reuters said exporter and mining shares lagged even as chip-related names drove the broader benchmark higher. ### What should readers watch next? March 31, 2027, is the end date Olympus gave for its current share repurchase period. Sony’s investor relations calendar lists its annual shareholders’ meeting and follow-up filings as the next formal checkpoints after the May 8 earnings release and buyback announcement.