Markets

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Share Gauge Hits New Record High

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Tokyo Stock Exchange

Reuters

10:11 JST, August 12, 2025

TOKYO, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei share gauge .N225 climbed to a record high on Tuesday, following similar feats this year by other global markets.

The Nikkei 225 rose as much as 2.1% to 42,689.74 in early trade, exceeding the previous high of 42,426.77 set on July 11, 2024. In a roller-coaster ride in 2024, the Nikkei had exceeded a record that had stood since 1989 during Japan’s bubble economy.

Japan’s broader Topix .TOPX has been setting successive record highs since July 24 and also scored a new all-time high on Tuesday.

The U.S. Standard & Poor’s 500 .SPX and MSCI’s broadest gauge of global equities .MIWD00000PUS have been charting new peaks since June.

Global equities tumbled after U.S. President Donald Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement of sweeping tariffs on imports from dozens of countries into the U.S.

Shares have since more than recouped those losses as trade concerns abated and enthusiasm over artificial intelligence companies soared.