Nikkei-225 surges to another record high

Tokyo: Japan’s Nikkei 225 share index closed Wednesday at another record high, gaining 0.6 per cent to end trading at 41,831,99.That followed a record close on Tuesday, as world markets tracked gains on Wall Street. The Nikkei 225 index also hit a record intraday high on Wednesday of 41,889.16 as it bounced throughout the day, at times falling back.

The benchmark has advanced nearly 30 per cent in the past year and is up 5 per cent in the past three months. Investors have been snapping up technology-related shares as enthusiasm builds over the potential of artificial intelligence. Export-oriented companies have also seen strong gains since their profits have soared due to the weakness of the Japanese yen.

In Asian markets, Shanghai and Hong Kong settled lower, while Seoul and Tokyo ended higher.