Published Tue, Feb 3, 2026 · 04:03 PM
[TOKYO] Japan’s Nikkei share average climbed nearly 4 per cent to close at a record high on Tuesday (Feb 3) rebounding from a decline posted in the previous session, after the sell-off of precious metals paused.
The Nikkei rose 3.92 per cent to 54,720.66 in its biggest daily gain since October 25.
On Monday, the index erased most of its early gains to close 1.25 per cent lower as prices of precious metals slumped.
The broader Topix jumped 3.1 per cent to 3,645.84 on Tuesday.
“The market was worried about the impact of the sell-off of the precious metals in the previous session on other assets. But the stocks in the US and Europe were strong overnight,” said Shuutarou Yasuda, a market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Laboratory.
“That prompted investors to scoop up the stocks in today’s session,” he said.
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The market also welcomed robust US factory activity data as a sign of the economy’s strength, which also became a cue for the rally in Japanese stocks, said Yasuda.
The S&P 500 closed higher on Monday, lifted by gains in chipmakers and other companies related to artificial intelligence, while smaller companies also rose sharply.
The other two main indexes, the Nasdaq and Dow Jones Industrial Average, also edged higher.
In Japan, chip-testing equipment maker Advantest jumped 7.1 per cent and chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron climbed nearly 4.79 per cent.
Optical fibre cable maker Fujikura jumped 9.67 per cent.
Shares of TDK surged 11.43 per cent after the electronic component maker raised its annual profit forecast for the year to March.
Yamaha Motor fell 10 per cent to become the worst percentage loser on the Nikkei after the motorcycle maker cut its annual profit forecast for the year to December.
Of the 225 stocks on the Nikkei, only 16 stocks fell.
Of more than 1,600 stocks trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s prime market, 84 per cent rose and 13 per cent fell, while 2 per cent traded flat. REUTERS
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