FX.co ★ Japanese Shares Rally on US-Iran Deal Hopes

The Nikkei 225 Index jumped 4% toward 67,000 on Friday, while the broader Topix Index advanced 2.1% to 3,910, as Japanese equities rebounded from earlier-week losses. The turnaround came after President Donald Trump indicated that a peace agreement with Iran could be signed as soon as this weekend in Europe, sending oil prices sharply lower. Sentiment was further buoyed ahead of SpaceX’s anticipated Wall Street debut, with the company expected to raise about $75 billion at a projected valuation of $1.78 trillion.

Technology and AI-related stocks led the advance, with Kioxia Holdings climbing 6%, Tokyo Electron surging 10%, SoftBank Group gaining 3.4%, Advantest rising 8.7%, and Taiyo Yuden jumping 13%. Financial and consumer names also strengthened, including Mitsubishi UFJ, up 1.1%, Sumitomo Mitsui, which added 2.3%, and Fast Retailing, up 1.9%.