SoftBank Rebound Fails to Lift Nikkei as Oil Prices Weigh

Tokyo stocks ended almost unchanged on September 15, with the Nikkei 225 closing around 63,485, down about 8 points. A rebound in SoftBank Group and selected artificial intelligence-related shares offset caution over oil above $107, rising bond yields, and this week's Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan policy meetings.

The Nikkei began lower after U.S. stocks fell overnight, but concerns remained over the pace of artificial intelligence development, higher energy prices, and global interest rates. The index briefly slipped toward the 63,000 level before buying returned to large technology shares, lifting the benchmark above 64,000 in morning trading.

The rebound faded later in the day as investors avoided aggressive positions before the Federal Reserve's September 15-16 meeting and the Bank of Japan's September 17-18 decision. The market finished little changed, showing both the resilience of dip-buying and the difficulty of extending gains while oil, rates, and currency policy remain unsettled.