Tokyo: Japan's Nikkei share average climbed to another record on Wednesday, driven by a surge in tech-related stocks and waning expectations of an imminent policy rate hike after new central bank board member nominations.
According to Qatar News Agency, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 2.2% to close at 58,583.12 after rising as much as 2.7%. The broader Topix gained 0.7% at 3,843.16.
Semiconductor-related shares contributed to lifting the Nikkei index the most, with chip-testing equipment maker Advantest rising 7.5%, pushing up the index by more than 520 points. Meanwhile, chipmaking equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron's 4.2% jump helped the index rise by over 180 points.
IT services firm NEC Corp rose 2.4%, rebounding after a 6.2% tumble the previous day, as investors' apprehension over artificial intelligence disruption eased.
The largest percentage decliner was Nippon Steel, with a 5.5% drop, after the Japanese steelmaker announced on Tuesday that it would increase its convertible bond offering to $3.9 billion, marking the biggest in Japan's corporate history.