The Nikkei notched a lifetime-high close by climbing 2.5% to 66,329.50.

Synopsis Japan's Nikkei share average surged to a record high, driven by optimism for a Middle East peace deal and strong AI stock performance following Dell Technologies' positive earnings. The broader Topix also reached an all-time closing high. This market rally was fueled by renewed hopes for de-escalation in the Middle East and robust demand for AI-optimized servers. Japan's Nikkei share average rose to a record high on Friday, powered by renewed optimism for a near-term peace deal in the Middle East and enthusiasm about AI shares after strong earnings from Dell Technologies. The Nikkei notched a lifetime-high close by climbing 2.5% to 66,329.50, and also marked an all-time ‌intraday peak at 66,505.02. S&P 500 Top Gainers Dollar Tree113.00(17.87%) Agilent Technologies135.38(16.87%) Best Buy Co74.74(15.80%) Hormel Foods23.59(12.55%) S&P 500 Top Losers Coterra Energy32.56(-8.62%) Synopsys480.64(-8.61%) Tyson Foods62.00(-6.09%) Norfolk Southern307.88(-5.47%) The ⁠broader ⁠Topix advanced 1.4% to 3,957.17, also a record close, and set a new intraday high at 3,984.58. Sources told Reuters that the U.S. and Iran have reached an agreement to extend their ceasefire and lift restrictions on shipping, though U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to approve it, and Iranian state media said it had not been finalised. Conflicting headlines in recent days around progress in negotiations ⁠between Washington ‌and Tehran have seen stocks swing, but for the week, the Nikkei and Topix gained 4.7% and 1.7%, respectively. Live Events The Nikkei outperformed largely ⁠due to a high concentration of tech stocks, and heavy weighting for some darlings of the AI trade, such as startup investor SoftBank Group, which gained 5.1% on Friday to bring its advance for the week to 10.9%. On Thursday, Dell raised its annual revenue and profit forecasts, showing data centre expansion by clients is fuelling demand for its AI-optimised servers. "Dell Technologies commented that there is no sign of a slowdown ‌in AI demand," driving a sharp rise in Japanese AI stocks such as SoftBank, said Wataru Akiyama, a strategist at Nomura Securities. Meanwhile, "announcements from both the U.S. and ⁠Iran suggesting progress toward a provisional agreement have provided a sense of reassurance to the market," buoying stocks more broadly, he said. Of the Nikkei's 225 components, 163 rose versus 61 that fell, with one ending flat. Silicon maker Sumco soared more than 19%, making it the index's biggest percentage gainer. However, not all AI shares got a lift from Dell, with data centre cable makers Fujikura and Furukawa Electric dropping 4.9% and 4.1%, respectively, to be among the Nikkei's worst performers. (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel) (What's moving Sensex and Nifty Track latest market news, stock tips, Budget 2025, Share Market on Budget 2025 and expert advice, on ETMarkets. Also, ETMarkets.com is now on Telegram. For fastest news alerts on financial markets, investment strategies and stocks alerts, subscribe to our Telegram feeds .) Subscribe to ET Prime and read the Economic Times ePaper Online.and Sensex Today. Top Trending Stocks: SBI Share Price, Axis Bank Share Price, HDFC Bank Share Price, Infosys Share Price, Wipro Share Price, NTPC Share Price ...moreless (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel) (What's moving Sensex and Nifty Track latest market news, stock tips, Budget 2025, Share Market on Budget 2025 and expert advice, on ETMarkets. Also, ETMarkets.com is now on Telegram. For fastest news alerts on financial markets, investment strategies and stocks alerts, subscribe to our Telegram feeds .) Subscribe to ET Prime and read the Economic Times ePaper Online.and Sensex Today. Top Trending Stocks: SBI Share Price, Axis Bank Share Price, HDFC Bank Share Price, Infosys Share Price, Wipro Share Price, NTPC Share Price ...moreless Wafers to war: Vinay Dube on how Iran crisis is hitting Akasa Stock-linked pay for UGRO promoter raises governance concerns Can a Rajan-style NRI dollar-deposit scheme save the rupee? How practical is India’s latest investor protection framework? Iran war impact: Oil prices may be just one among many to pinch you For those who still have patience for long-term investing: 5 large-caps from different sectors with upside potential of up to 30% 1 2 3

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