Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average surpassed an intraday record of 66,000 on Thursday morning.
As of 9:25 a.m., the Nikkei was trading at 66,327.53, up 2.05% from the previous session. The index's gain at one point exceeded 1,400 points from the prior day, extending the rally in semiconductor-related stocks seen on Wall Street the previous day.
The Nikkei closed at 65,158.19 on the 25th, up 2.87% from the prior session, setting fresh closing and intraday highs before extending those records on Thursday.
Advantest, the global leader in automated test equipment (ATE) for semiconductor chip performance, rose 5.77%, while NAND flash maker Kioxia Holdings climbed 5.46%, leading the gainers.
