Global · 2026-06-17
Nikkei Hits Record High as Asian Markets Diverge from Wall Street
Japan's Nikkei 225 rose about 0.7% to a fresh closing record after the Bank of Japan's policy meeting removed a source of uncertainty, having briefly touched the 70,000 mark intraday the day before. The index has risen roughly sevenfold over about twelve years since 2013's Abenomics era, prompting observers to note Korea's KOSPI could plausibly follow a similar path.
By contrast, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell about 0.8% and Shanghai's composite traded flat, while Taiwan's Taiex, down more than 1% intraday, pared losses to about 0.5% amid volatility linked to options trading around newly listed shares. Unlike Wall Street's cautious wait-and-see stance ahead of the FOMC, Asian markets each responded to their own local catalysts.