Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average jumped on Thursday morning, surpassing 68,000 for the first time since Aug. 18 amid continued buying of major artificial intelligence-related issues. The index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section finished the morning session at 68,355.81, up 1,602.09 points, or 2.40 pct, from Wednesday’s close. AI-related stocks, such as semiconductor test device maker Advantest, chipmaking gear producer Tokyo Electron and technology investor SoftBank Group, were supported by U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology’s strong earnings report released overnight. However, an official at a major securities firm noted that AI-related stocks are being bought “selectively” and that Japanese stocks are “weak overall” amid uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East. In Tokyo currency trading, selling of the yen intensified after a summary of the Bank of Japan’s September policy-setting meeting revealed that a government official urged the central bank to fulfill its accountability for interest rate hikes. At noon, the dollar stood at 158.11-12 yen, up from 156.91-91 yen at 5 p.m. the previous day. The euro was at 1.1325-1325 dollars, down from 1.1344-1346 dollars, and at 179.06-08 yen, up from 178.02-03 yen. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
