| Japanese markets hit a new record, longer-term bonds continued to climb, and the yen gyrated against the dollar after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government nominated two new dovish-leaning academics to the Bank of Japan's nine-member board, prompting traders to pare expectations of a near-term rate hike. The Nikkei average jumped 2.20 percent to 58,583.12, led by strong chip and AI names. The broader Topix index closed 0.71 percent higher at 3,843.16. Nippon Steel shares plunged 5.5 percent after the company raised '600 billion ($3.9 billion) from an upsize sale of convertible bonds. Powered by Capital Market - Live News |