Japan's Nikkei ends higher as chip-related shares track Nvidia's gains

Japan's Nikkei share average ended higher on Friday after two straight sessions of falls, as chip-related stocks tracked artificial intelligence darling Nvidia higher.

The Nikkei rose 0.68% to close at 38,283.85 but fell 1.6% for the week.

The broader Topix gained 0.51% to 2,696.53 and posted a 1.06% weekly loss.


"Nvidia's gains lifted sentiment and investors bought back Japanese stocks," said Naoki Fujiwara, senior general manager at Shinkin Asset Management.

"And it was time for making active bets after the Nikkei fell below 38,000 in the previous session."

The Nikkei index hit a low of 37,945.21 in intraday trade on Thursday, falling below 38,000 for the first time since Nov. 1. The index closed at its lowest since Oct. 25.

Wall Street's main indexes closed higher after a choppy session on Thursday, with the blue-chip Dow and the S&P 500 hitting one-week tops.

Shares of Wall Street's biggest company, Nvidia, climbed 0.5% after teetering following the earnings release on Wednesday. The U.S. semiconductor index rose 1.6%.

In Japan, chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron jumped 2.16% and chip-testing equipment maker Advantest rose 0.66%. Chip materials maker Resonac jumped 4.66%.

All but five of the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33 industry sub-indexes rose, with refiners rising 2.79% to become the top performer.

The auto sector slipped 0.15%, with Toyota Motor losing 0.37% and weighed on the Topix the most.

The drug sector slipped 0.43% with Daiichi Sankyo falling 1.07%.

Of the 225 stocks on the Nikkei, 148 rose and 74 fell, with three trading flat.