Published on 6/22/2026
Today, Monday, the Japanese Nikkei index jumped above the 72,000-point barrier for the first time in its history, supported by a broad wave of optimism regarding investments related to artificial intelligence, at a time when this positive sentiment overshadowed the uncertainty surrounding the peace talks between the United States and Iran.
The Nikkei index rose by 1.55% to reach 72,353.96 points in Monday trading, while the broader Topix index rose by 1.24% to 4,095.05 points.
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The Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday that the government of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi intends to set a target for public and private investment worth approximately 370 trillion yen (about 2.29 trillion dollars) in strategic sectors, including artificial intelligence and electronic chips, by 2040.
Stocks also continued their gains after Qatar and Pakistan, which play a mediating role in the peace talks between the United States and Iran, announced progress in the negotiations, emphasizing their continuation despite their tense beginning.
“AI-related companies are once again playing a leading role in driving the market,” said Wataru Akiyama, equity strategist at Nomura Securities.
He added: “It is likely that a high level of vigilance regarding developments in the situation in Iran and the Middle East will continue.”
Winners and losers
The non-ferrous metals sector index topped the gains of the sectors included in the Topix index, rising by 7.57%, followed by the electrical appliances sector by 2.08%, then the glass and ceramic products sector by 2.05%.
On the other hand, the real estate sector was among the losers, declining by 1.07%.
At the stock level, J Front Retailing topped the list of gainers after jumping by 16.24%, following the announcement by the active investment company 3D Investment Partners of its acquisition of a 5.10% stake in the company that operates the retail stores.
Yaskawa Electric came in second place, rising by 9.02%, followed by Fanuc, a robotics manufacturer, which rose by 8.10%.
On the other hand, “Taiyo Yuden” stock recorded the largest losses, declining by 3.37%, followed by “Tokyo Electric Power” stock, which fell by 3.05%, then “Obayashi” stock, which lost 2.99%.
