Nikkei 225 Index rose 2%, SoftBank surged more than 5%

Driven by the weakening of the Japanese yen and the resurgence of the artificial intelligence investment boom, the Nikkei average stock price in Japan rose for the second consecutive trading day on Monday. As of the midday close, the Nikkei 225 index rose 2% to 50,480.76 points; the index had already recorded a 1% increase last Friday. The TOPIX index rose 0.8%. The US stocks closed higher last Friday, partly thanks to the strong earnings expectations released by chip maker Micron Technology, which rekindled optimism in the market for artificial intelligence concept stocks. SoftBank Group, a major investor in the field of artificial intelligence in Japan, saw its stock price soar by 5.1%. There are reports that the company is seeking to finalize a $22.5 billion investment commitment in OpenAI by the end of the year.