TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average closed more than 2 percent higher on Monday, led by chip and AI-linked stocks after gains in US semiconductor shares.
The Nikkei rose 2.12 percent to 66,399.84, its highest close since August 28. The broader Topix climbed 0.55 percent to 4,125.8.
Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest and chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron rose more than 4 percent each. Technology investor SoftBank Group jumped 11.22 percent. Memory maker Kioxia rose 9.31 percent.
Wall Street fell on Friday as a robust jobs report raised the probability of the US Federal Reserve raising rates this month, but the semiconductor index rose 3.4 percent.
Kokusai Electric jumped 7.64 percent after the Nikkei, the publisher of the 225-stock average, said on Friday it would add the chip equipment maker to the benchmark from October in a regular reshuffle. Camera and audio equipment maker Sony Group slipped 2.7 percent.