[Economy] Buybacks accelerate on the tailwind of rising US tech stocks—The identity of the 'laggard semiconductor stock' that rose over 19% in one month (Market close …

The Tokyo stock market on September 24, 2026, started with buying interest, encouraged by the sharp rebound in AI and semiconductor-related stocks in the US market during the long weekend. Although the Nikkei Stock Average briefly exceeded 66,000 yen, it struggled to gain further momentum due to caution over rising domestic long-term interest rates (at a 30-year high) and a wait-and-see mood ahead of the US-China summit, ending the day at 65,513.99 yen, up 495.04 yen from the previous day.

We will summarize today’s market overview and the trends of notable stocks that surged on the TSE Prime Market.

1. Summary of market trends for September 24, 2026

• Nikkei Stock Average: 65,513.99 yen (+495.04 yen / +0.76% from the previous day) *4th consecutive day of gains

• TOPIX: 4,075.30 (-15.84 / -0.39% from the previous day)

• Trading value: 9.2038 trillion yen (TSE Prime estimate)

• Market highlights:

  1. Following the significant rise in the US Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) during the long weekend, major semiconductor stocks such as Advantest, Ibiden, and Tokyo Electron drove the index. On the other hand, because domestic long-term interest rates briefly hit a 30-year high of 3.075%, high-valuation stocks (such as Recruit Holdings) faced downward pressure, and the number of declining stocks on the Prime Market accounted for the majority, resulting in a market where positive factors and caution were intertwined.

2. Individual stock picks: Top gainers

① Socionext (6526) — Semiconductor-related stock that rose over 19% in one month as buybacks accelerated

② Ibiden (4062) — Supported by strong ties with Nvidia and a stock split

③ Ushio Inc. (6925) — Welcomed by securities firm’s target price hike

3. Trends of the worst performers

• Advance Create (8798): Closing price 140 yen (Day-over-day -19.54%) — Profit-taking sales took precedence as a reaction to the recent surge following favorable earnings.

• Toyo Engineering (6330): Closing price 2,640 yen (Day-over-day -9.22%) — Although there were no particular negative factors, profit-taking and liquidation sales became dominant.

• Recruit Holdings (6098): Closing price 16,000 yen (Day-over-day -7.78%) — Disliking the sharp rise in domestic long-term interest rates, the stock was hit by selling pressure on high-valuation stocks across the entire market.

While capital inflows into the semiconductor sector supported the overall market, it was a day where the severity of stock selection stood out due to rising interest rates and caution regarding the external environment.

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