S&P 5007,673.89+0.29%
NASDAQ COMPOSITE26,929.52+0.25%
DOW JONES50,912.33+0.01%
STOXX EUROPE 600626.65−1.30%
NIKKEI 22568,956.72+3.30%
HANG SENG24,613.27+0.37%
U.S. 10-YEAR5.24%−0.06
BRENT CRUDE100.60+2.61%
WTI CRUDE92.96+2.81%
GOLD4,208.60+0.52%
USD/JPY158.20+0.50%
BITCOIN84,666+1.33%
VIX16.35+0.06%

Micron's Outlook Lifts Chipmakers From Tokyo to New York; Nikkei Jumps 3.3%

The memory maker reported record results and forecast an even stronger quarter. Japan's chip-equipment makers led the Nikkei to its best close since mid-August.

By Global Terminal Staff · · 1 min read

A close-up of a black circuit board
Photo: Alexandre Debiève / Unsplash

Why it matters

  • Chip stocks carry heavy weight in both the Nasdaq and Japan's price-weighted Nikkei 225.
  • Micron's results are read as a gauge of spending on artificial intelligence data centers.
  • The rally offset pressure from rising bond yields in the U.S. and Japan.

Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 3.30%, or 2,203 points, to 68,956.72 on Thursday, its highest close since Aug. 17, as chip stocks rallied after Micron Technology's results, according to BBN Times. The broader Topix index rose a more modest 0.57%.

Chip-equipment and component makers led the gains. Lasertec rose 11.1%, Advantest 9.8%, Murata Manufacturing 8.4% and Kioxia Holdings 5.6%. Because the Nikkei is weighted by share price rather than company size, a handful of high-priced chip stocks can move it far more than the Topix.

What Micron reported

Micron said revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended in late August, was a record $54.23 billion, according to its earnings release. Full-year revenue was $133.19 billion, up from $37.38 billion a year earlier.

The company forecast revenue of about $61.5 billion, plus or minus $1.5 billion, for the current quarter. "Micron delivered record fiscal 2026 results, and we expect an even stronger fiscal 2027," Chief Executive Sanjay Mehrotra said.

Demand for high-bandwidth memory, used in AI servers, continues to outstrip capacity, BBN Times reported, and Micron's long-term customer commitments rose to $32 billion from $22 billion in June.

U.S. stocks follow

In New York, the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.25% to 26,929.52 and the S&P 500 gained 0.29%, according to Yahoo Finance. The gains came even as the 10-year Treasury yield touched a 24-year high during the session. Our lead story covers the bond market.

A note on Japan

Japan's quarterly Tankan business survey, released the same day, came in slightly below forecasts. Sentiment among large manufacturers rose to +24 from +22 in June but missed the +25 economists expected, according to BBN Times. The yen traded near 158 per dollar.

Sources