The Nikkei 225 Index continued pumping today, June 22, reaching a new all-time high of 72,639, after the US and Iran agreed on a roadmap for a deal, and as the artificial intelligence supercycle continued. It has jumped by 45% this year. This article highlights some of the top news that will drive Japanese stocks this week.
Nikkei 225 Index to react to the US-Iran roadmap to a deal
The Nikkei Index continued its strong rally after US and Iranian teams met in Switzerland and started the nuclear talks. These talks are happening a few days after their leaders signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The two sides have now agreed on a roadmap of these talks, which are being led by JD Vance. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are also taking part in the US side, while Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are leading the Iranian side.
The two have agreed on the timeline for these talks hoping that they will reach a final agreement in the next 60 days. At the same time, they are working to end the military operations in Lebanon, which has become a key challenge. As a result, crude oil prices continued falling, with Brent moving below $80.
Japan is a key beneficiary of the ongoing oil price retreat because it is a top importer. It will also help to curb inflation in the country.
Potential Bank of Japan intervention
The other potential catalyst for the Nikkei 225 Index is the intervention by the Bank of Japan (BoJ) as the Japanese yen crash continued. Data shows that the USD/JPY pair has soared to 161.56, slightly below this year’s high of 161.81. It is hovering at the highest point in over 40 years after soaring by 15% from its lowest point last year.
The Japanese yen has slumped despite the actions by the BoJ to prop it. For example, the BoJ has launched rescue efforts worth over $70 billion. It then hiked interest rates by 0.25%, bringing the benchmark rate to a multi-decade high of 1%.
Therefore, there is a likelihood that the bank will announce another rescue package later this week, now that the USD/JPY pair has moved above the key resistance at 160.
Key Japan macro data
The Nikkei 225 Index will also react mildly to the upcoming macro data from Japan. S&P Global will be the first one to publish a crucial number on Tuesday when it releases the flash manufacturing and services PMI report. Economists expect the data to show that the two benchmarks jumped in June.
The Bank of Japan will publish minutes of the last monetary policy meeting on Wednesday, providing more color on what officials talked about.
Kazuo Ueda, the BoJ Governor, will talk later this week, providing more hints on what to expect this year. Finally, the statistics agency will publish the latest Tokyo consumer inflation report on Friday.
Micron earnings may affect technology stocks
The other key catalyst for the Nikkei 225 Index will come from the US, where Micron will publish its financial results on Wednesday. These results will be important because it is one of the biggest players in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.
As a result, if the results lead to a retreat, Japanese stocks like Softbank and Kioxia will be affected. The two have been some of the biggest drivers of the ongoing rally.
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