Stock Markets January 29, 2026

Tokyo Stocks Close Higher as Real Estate, Banking and Textile Sectors Lead Gains

Nikkei 225 edges up 0.12% as select miners and test-equipment firms hit record highs amid mixed breadth and rising volatility

By Jordan Park
Tokyo Stocks Close Higher as Real Estate, Banking and Textile Sectors Lead Gains

Tokyo's stock market closed modestly higher on Thursday, with the Nikkei 225 gaining 0.12% as Real Estate, Banking and Textile groups supported the advance. Sumitomo Metal Mining and Advantest reached all-time highs, while notable declines at Tokyo Electron and SMC weighed on the index. Market breadth was negative and implied volatility for the Nikkei rose slightly. Movements in crude, Brent and gold, along with currency shifts, accompanied the session.

Key Points

  • Nikkei 225 closed up 0.12% with Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors leading gains.
  • Sumitomo Metal Mining (TYO:5713) and Advantest (TYO:6857) rose to all-time highs; Hino Motors (TYO:7205) also posted strong gains.
  • Tokyo Electron (TYO:8035), SMC (TYO:6273) and Sapporo Holdings (TYO:2501) were among the largest decliners; decliners outnumbered advancers 2,023 to 1,582.

Shares in Tokyo finished higher on Thursday, with the Nikkei 225 closing up 0.12% as gains clustered in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors.

Top performers and laggards

Leading the index, Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (TYO:5713) jumped 9.45% - an increase of 851.00 points - to finish at 9,855.00, a move that sent the stock to a new all-time high. Hino Motors, Ltd. (TYO:7205) rose 7.77% or 30.00 points to close at 416.00, while Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857) climbed 5.17% - up 1,320.00 points - to 26,860.00, also marking an all-time high for the company.

On the downside, Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TYO:8035) fell 5.64% or 2,470.00 points, ending the session at 41,330.00. SMC Corp (TYO:6273) declined 4.68% or 2,950.00 points to 60,130.00, and Sapporo Holdings Ltd. (TYO:2501) dropped 4.65% or 77.50 points to 1,590.50.

Breadth and volatility

Decliners outpaced advancers on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with 2,023 issues falling versus 1,582 rising; 208 stocks finished unchanged. The Nikkei Volatility index, which measures implied volatility on Nikkei 225 options, ticked up 0.56% to 34.33, signaling a modest rise in expected near-term swings.

Commodities and currency moves

Energy and precious metals also moved during the session. Crude oil for March delivery rose 1.77% - up $1.12 - to $64.33 a barrel, while Brent oil for April delivery increased 1.59% or $1.07 to $68.44 a barrel. The April Gold Futures contract advanced 4.83% - up 258.05 - to trade at $5,598.25 a troy ounce.

In currency markets, USD/JPY declined 0.25% to 153.04 and EUR/JPY climbed 0.09% to 183.55. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.42% at 95.87.

Session context

Thursday's session combined pockets of strong single-stock rallies, including two records, with meaningful declines among several large-cap names. Market breadth favored decliners, while commodity and currency movements accompanied the equity trading day.

Risks

  • Market breadth was negative with more declining issues than advancing ones, which could signal uneven participation across sectors - this affects overall market stability and equity portfolios.
  • Implied volatility for the Nikkei rose to 34.33, indicating an increase in expected short-term market swings - elevated volatility can impact risk-sensitive sectors and trading strategies.
  • Large drops in major technology and industrial names such as Tokyo Electron and SMC represent concentration risks for indices and sector-linked investments.

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