Advantest, SoftBank lift Nikkei 225: is Nvidia about to decide next move?

Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark reversed early losses to rise approximately 0.6% to 66,271 in Tokyo afternoon trading, supported by lower crude oil prices, declining US Treasury yields, and gains in key tech components. Advantest climbed 2.7% and SoftBank Group advanced roughly 2.6%, together adding more than 300 points to the index. Other heavyweights including Sony Group and Recruit Holdings also gained over 1%, helping broaden market momentum. Macroeconomic tailwinds aided the turnaround, as Brent crude fell over 2% toward $86 per barrel amid diplomatic talks regarding the Strait of Hormuz, easing energy import costs and inflation expectations for Japan. Concurrently, the US 10-year Treasury yield dropped to 4.63%, easing valuation pressures on growth equities. Market participants remain focused on Nvidia's upcoming fiscal second-quarter earnings report, which will serve as a crucial test for the sustainability of the global AI capital-spending cycle and index-heavy Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturers.