FX.co ★ Japanese Stocks Extend Gains for Third Consecutive Session

Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index climbed 1.31% to close at 61,249 on Wednesday, marking its third consecutive session of gains. Sentiment toward the artificial intelligence sector improved after AI computing provider CoreWeave reported stronger-than-expected results, easing recent concerns about the industry’s outlook. Optimism was further lifted by reports that Anthropic could begin trading as early as next week, with plans to raise up to $90 billion at a diluted valuation of roughly $1.4 trillion.

Technology and AI-linked stocks led the advance, with notable gains in Kioxia Holdings (5.6%), Advantest (5.9%), Taiyo Yuden (7.3%), and Lasertec (6.3%). In contrast, SoftBank Group shares declined after the company reported its first net loss in nearly two years, driven by a $3.7 billion impairment charge on its U.S. data-center projects and lower valuations across the AI sector.