Image Credits: Asia Financial
Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average staged a historic rebound on Tuesday, recovering from its largest-ever single-day decline. The Nikkei 225 surged by a staggering 3,217.04 points to close at 34,675.46, setting a new record for the biggest point gain between two trading days. This eclipsed the previous record increase of 2,676.55 points, which was recorded on October 2, 1990. At its peak during Tuesday’s trading session, the index had surged by over 3,400 points, underscoring the dramatic turnaround.
The broader TOPIX index also witnessed a remarkable rally, climbing 207.06 points to settle at 2,434.21. This surge surpasses the previous record rise of 168.51 points achieved on October 21, 1987, highlighting the scale of the day’s recovery across the market.
The rally was fueled by a surge of buy orders, following Monday’s unprecedented decline of 4,451.28 points, which surpassed the notorious “Black Monday” crash of October 20, 1987, when the Nikkei fell by 3,836.48 points. The previous day’s massive drop had created a perception of undervaluation across a broad spectrum of stocks, prompting a buying frenzy.
On Tuesday, over 98% of the approximately 1,600 companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section experienced gains. Semiconductor stocks were at the forefront of this rally, with Tokyo Electron Ltd. seeing a notable 19% increase and SoftBank Group Corp.—which holds a significant stake in a British semiconductor design company—rising about 14%. Additionally, export-oriented stocks benefited from the yen’s depreciation, which saw the currency weaken to ¥146 against the dollar, down from ¥141 the previous day.
To manage the extreme market volatility, the Osaka Exchange—Japan’s leading market for futures and derivatives—implemented circuit breakers to temporarily halt trading in Nikkei 225 and TOPIX futures, aiming to stabilize the sharp fluctuations and ensure orderly market conditions.
This dramatic reversal illustrates the volatile nature of financial markets and the swift shifts in investor sentiment that can lead to unprecedented stock market movements.