Japan's Nikkei index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose more than 3% in trading on June 19, marking its strongest gain in months, fueled by a rally in technology and artificial intelligence (AI) stocks.
The rally was strongly boosted after Micron Technology – one of the world's leading memory chip manufacturers – reported quarterly earnings that exceeded analysts' forecasts. Micron's strong results indicated persistent demand for memory chips, particularly those used in the AI sector.
Shares of major tech conglomerates including Tokyo Electron, Advantest and SoftBank Group posted significant gains, pushing the Nikkei past a key psychological threshold. Investors expect Japanese tech companies to benefit from the wave of AI investment.
The Nikkei closed at 38,456.32 points, up 1,120 points (equivalent to 3.02%) from the previous session. This was the index's strongest single-day gain since early 2026.
Analysts said Micron's positive results reinforced investor confidence in the global technology sector's outlook, particularly as AI increasingly becomes a primary growth driver. Japan's stock market benefited from both foreign capital inflows and recovering chip demand.
The June 19 rally also reflected a broader positive trend across Asian markets, with major indexes in South Korea and Taiwan (China) also rising on tech stock gains.
Investors are closely watching for the next signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve regarding interest rate trajectory, as well as upcoming earnings reports from other major tech companies.
