In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 1.2% to 57,249.43 by midday trading, News.Az reports, citing AP.
The advance came as lawmakers prepared to reappoint Sanae Takaichi as prime minister following her ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in the February 8 election.
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Technology stocks led the rally. Chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron gained 3.5%. However, SoftBank Group fell 2%, extending losses of more than 5% from Tuesday. The decline followed an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that SoftBank subsidiary SB Energy will take part in a $33 billion natural gas facility project near Portsmouth, Ohio.
The project is part of Japan’s broader $550 billion investment pledge in the United States under a trade agreement that increased tariffs on Japanese exports by 15%.
Elsewhere in the region, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.4% to 8,993.20, India’s Sensex edged up 0.1%, and Thailand’s SET Index gained 0.5%. New Zealand’s S&P/NZX 50 slipped 0.7%.
On Wall Street, stocks ended Tuesday with modest gains. The S&P 500 added 0.1% to 6,843.22, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1% to 49,553.19, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.1% to 22,578.38.
Media companies were among the top performers. Paramount Skydance jumped 4.9% after Warner Bros. Discovery said it would allow Paramount to submit a “best and final” bid in its effort to outpace an offer from Netflix. Warner Bros. Discovery rose 2.7%, while Netflix gained 0.2%.
Meanwhile, General Mills dropped 7% after warning that consumer demand remains uncertain. The maker of Cheerios, Nature Valley and Pillsbury products lowered its 2026 profit outlook, saying declines are expected to be steeper than previously forecast.
