Japan's Nikkei 225 index crossed the 60,000 mark for the first time, putting it on course for a historic record closing level. The milestone extends a powerful multi-year rally in Japanese equities that has drawn renewed attention from global investors. The index has now more than doubled from its pandemic-era lows, reflecting a fundamental shift in how markets view Japanese corporate governance and profitability.
Investors holding Japan-focused ETFs or international equity funds with Japanese exposure are seeing direct upside from this move. A record Nikkei close reinforces the structural bull case for Japanese stocks — driven by corporate reform, returning inflation, and a weaker yen boosting exporter earnings — and could attract fresh capital flows into the market. Broader Asia-Pacific funds and global equity benchmarks with Japan weightings also benefit.
Watch for the official Nikkei closing price on the same trading day to confirm the record close. Bank of Japan policy meeting: June 16-17, 2025. U.S. Federal Reserve meeting: June 17-18, 2025 — yen moves in response to rate decisions directly affect Nikkei export earnings.
Full analysis · Subscribers
The deep dive (bull case, bear case, and the data point that decides which side wins), the cause-and-effect chain behind the move, plain-English explainers for every block.
Aggregated reads dozens of sources in five languages and turns the day into plain-English cards like this one.
Educational analysis of public information, not investment advice. Report an error · Corrections policy
← Today's brief