Nikkei 225 Index Hits 60,000 Points for the First Time

The Nikkei 225 index reached 60,013.98 points during trading on April 23, breaking through the 60,000 point threshold for the first time in history, gaining 428.12 points or a 0.7% increase from Wednesday's closing record of 59,585.86 points. The technology sector led the gains. SoftBank Group surged 8.9% in a single day, chip testing equipment provider Advantest rose 2.65%, Tokyo Electron increased by 0.81%, and fiber optic cable manufacturer Fujikura gained 1%; among the Nikkei 225 constituents, only 42 stocks went up, 158 went down, and 5 remained unchanged. The South Korean market also strengthened in tandem. The KOSPI in Seoul extended intraday gains to 2.1%, setting a historical high. Samsung Electronics rose 4.8%, SK Hynix increased 3.5%, both reaching their respective historical peaks, making the semiconductor sector the common theme in the current Asia-Pacific market rebound.