Japan's Nikkei scales record peak on optimism around possible US-Iran peace deal, AI shares

Japan’s Nikkei share average has risen to a record high, powered by renewed optimism for a near-term peace deal in the Middle East and enthusiasm about AI shares, Reuters reports.

The Nikkei notched a lifetime-high close by climbing 2.5pc to 66,329.50, and also marked an all-time intraday peak at 66,505.02.

The broader Topix advanced 1.4pc to 3,957.17, also a record close, and set a new intraday high at 3,984.58.

The Nikkei outperformed largely due to a high concentration of tech stocks, and heavy weighting for some darlings of the AI trade, such as startup investor SoftBank Group, which gained 5.1pc today to bring its advance for the week to 10.9pc.

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