Japan Nikkei 225 Hits Record 44,000 on Trade Optimism

Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged past the 44,000 mark for the first time, continuing a strong rally fueled by gains in U.S. technology stocks and optimism over trade and stimulus spending. The Nikkei rose around 0.9%, with the broader Topix index also advancing, while South Korea's Kospi and Kosdaq edged up and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped slightly. Market enthusiasm was supported by the announcement of a potential reduction in U.S. tariffs on Japanese autos and political developments in Japan, including the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and the entry of a pro-stimulus candidate into the ruling party leadership race. U.S. markets also hit record highs, with the Nasdaq reaching a new all-time peak driven by gains in tech giants like Broadcom, Nvidia, Amazon, and Microsoft, amid expectations of future interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. The overall global trend reflects strong investor confidence in technology stocks, though some regional markets show mixed performance. Currency exchange rates remained stable, supporting the positive market sentiment.