Nikkei Ends above 43,000 for First Time

   Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)--Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average surged to finish above 43,000 for the first time Wednesday, posting an all-time high for two days in a row.
   The index ended up 556.50 points, or 1.30 pct, from Tuesday at 43,274.67, beating its previous record closing high of 42,718.17, marked Tuesday. The broader TOPIX index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished up 25.54 points, or 0.83 pct, at 3,091.91, also an all-time high. Both indexes posted a higher finish for the sixth straight market day.
   Major U.S. stock indexes rose Tuesday as the U.S. consumer price index for July, released the same day, was largely in line with investor forecasts, further reinforcing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would resume interest rate cuts in September.
   The Tokyo market followed suit, with a wide range of sectors, such as chipmaking equipment makers and artificial intelligence-linked companies, attracting buying. As on Tuesday, buying centered on large-cap stocks. "Overseas players remain the main buyers (on the Tokyo market)," an official of a bank-affiliated securities company said.
   The early U.S. rate cut scenario seems to have raised overseas investors' risk tolerance and drove them to Japanese stocks, brokers said.

(2025/08/13-17:04)

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.