Nikkei Rises as Oil Prices Ease, Gaming Stocks Lead the Way

Japan's Nikkei index rose on September 17 as investors bought shares of gaming and pharmaceutical companies that had fallen in value, while lower crude oil prices boosted market sentiment.

The Nikkei index closed at 64,136.25, a 0.3% gain from the previous day, with the broader Topix index gaining 0.8% to 4,094.19.

Chip-sector heavyweights Advantest and Tokyo Electron fell 1.5% and 1.4%, respectively, while AI-related stocks bucked the trend with SoftBank Group rising 1% and Fujikura adding 0.6%.

Gaming and pharmaceutical sector stocks also saw gains, with Nintendo shares rising 4.3% and Bandai Namco shares gaining 3.4%. Sumitomo Pharma shares jumped 5.3%, making it the biggest percentage gainer on the Nikkei index.