Nikkei Gains Amid Earnings Expectations and Inflation Worries

Japanese shares closed higher on Wednesday, August 26, as investors awaited Nvidia's earnings release and US inflation data. The Nikkei index rose 0.62% to 66,262.16 points, while the broader Topix gained 0.42% to 4,111.02 points.

SoftBank Group, a major AI investor, saw its shares climb 1.49%. Mitsubishi Materials led gainers on the Nikkei with a 5.95% rise, followed by Tokyo Electric Power (up 3.96%) and Advantest (up 3.63%). On the downside, SUMCO fell 3.90%, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha declined 3.36%, and Nippon Yusen lost 2.48%.