Japanese stocks advanced on Friday lifted by gains in the technology sector after Nvidia agreed to invest $5 billion in Intel lifting sentiment for chipmakers. Investors will also be on the watch for the Bank of Japan rate decision later in the day.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 0.6% to 45,579.94 while the broader Topix index climbed 0.5% to 3,175.36 as of 9:54 a.m. Tokyo time. In the US, four key equity benchmarks soared to all-time highs as risk-on sentiment permeated Wall Street.