Stock Markets February 3, 2026

Tokyo Shares Surge to Record High as Nikkei Climbs Nearly 4%

Real estate, banking and textile stocks push the market higher while select industrial and transport names lag

By Nina Shah
Tokyo Shares Surge to Record High as Nikkei Climbs Nearly 4%

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 closed sharply higher, rising 3.97% to a fresh all-time high as gains in real estate, banking and textile sectors drove broad market advances. Several heavyweights posted double-digit percentage increases, while a handful of industrial and transport-related names posted notable declines. Volatility measures and mixed commodity moves accompanied the session.

Key Points

  • Nikkei 225 rose 3.97% to a new all-time high, led by Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors.
  • Top individual gainers included Sumitomo Electric (+12.51%), Komatsu (+11.85%) and TDK (+11.43%); these names reached all-time highs in the session.
  • Market breadth favored advancers by a wide margin (2,790 advancers vs. 817 decliners); volatility measures increased to a one-month high.

Japanese equities closed higher on Tuesday as sector-level strength in Real Estate, Banking and Textile stocks helped lift the broader market.

At the Tokyo close, the Nikkei 225 advanced 3.97% to reach a new all-time high.

The session saw several large individual moves. The top gainers on the Nikkei 225 included:

  • Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. (TYO:5802) - rose 12.51% or 851.00 points to finish at 7,655.00.
  • Komatsu Ltd. (TYO:6301) - climbed 11.85% or 736.00 points to close at 6,949.00.
  • TDK Corp (TYO:6762) - increased 11.43% or 227.00 points to end at 2,212.50.

At the other end of the index, notable decliners included:

  • Yamaha Motor Co Ltd (TYO:7272) - fell 10.09% or 117.50 points to trade at 1,047.50 at the close.
  • Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd. (TYO:9064) - declined 7.49% or 153.50 points to finish at 1,895.50.
  • Denso Corp. (TYO:6902) - slipped 4.09% or 88.00 points to 2,065.00.

Breadth was strongly positive on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with 2,790 advancing issues versus 817 decliners and 211 unchanged.

Shares of Sumitomo Electric Industries and Komatsu each moved to all-time highs during the session, extending the index's strength.

Market volatility measures rose alongside the rally. The Nikkei Volatility index, which reflects the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, increased 4.55% to 36.32, registering a one-month high.

Commodity markets showed mixed moves on the day. Crude oil for March delivery declined 0.50% or 0.31 to $61.83 a barrel, while Brent crude for April delivery fell 0.56% or 0.37 to $65.93 a barrel. Precious metals moved sharply higher in the listed contract: the April Gold Futures contract rose 5.34% or 248.61 to trade at $4,901.21 a troy ounce.

In currency markets, USD/JPY eased 0.12% to 155.43 and EUR/JPY rose 0.10% to 183.59. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.20% at 97.30.


Market context and observations

The trading day combined broad sector gains with concentrated stock-level moves. Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors were highlighted as drivers of the advance, while a small group of industrial and transport-related names recorded sizeable declines. The rise in implied volatility suggests elevated option market hedging or positioning even as the index reached new highs.

Risks

  • Implied volatility for the Nikkei increased 4.55% to 36.32, indicating elevated option market uncertainty - this affects market hedging and derivatives strategies.
  • Several large-cap industrial and transport stocks posted sharp declines (Yamaha Motor, Yamato Holdings, Denso), showing concentration risk within otherwise broad gains - sectors affected include automotive, logistics and components.
  • Commodities and currency moves were mixed, with oil lower and gold sharply higher; such mixed signals can create uncertainty for energy, materials and export-sensitive sectors.

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