Asian Markets Rise After Tech Rally on Wall Street: Nikkei Climbs to 64,622 Points

Japan's Nikkei 225 closed on September 4, 2026 with a gain of 1.3% at 65,021 points, after technology stocks recorded significant gains on Wall Street. During trading, the Japanese benchmark index climbed 0.6% to 64,622 points before continuing to gain through the close of trading.

Tech stocks drive US trading despite negative overall balance

On Wall Street on September 4, 2026, technology stocks delivered strong performance while broad indices closed in negative territory. The S&P 500 fell 0.3%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 245 points or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.2%.

Among the day's gainers in the tech sector were several semiconductor and hardware manufacturers. Nvidia rose 1.4%, Advanced Micro Devices gained 4.2%, while SanDisk surged 10.4%. Micron Technology gained 4.6%.

Sportswear manufacturer Lululemon Athletica, by contrast, experienced a sharp decline of 17.4% after the company reported quarterly revenue below analyst expectations and lowered guidance for the current fiscal year.

Strong US jobs report significantly exceeds expectations

The US Department of Labor announced on September 4, 2026 that the American economy created 162,000 new jobs in August. Economists had expected only 65,000 new jobs according to a FactSet survey. Additionally, the department revised upward the numbers for June and July, adding 55,000 positions. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1%.

Terry Sandven, chief equity strategist at U.S. Bank Asset Management Group, stated: "Today's jobs report speaks to a rate increase by the Fed," but added that an increase "is not a done deal." Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial, assessed the situation more clearly: "Given the strength of the employment report, a rate increase on September 16 appears increasingly likely."

Rate increase draws closer: inflation above 3 percent

The inflation rate in the United States remains significantly above 3%, driven by rising oil prices related to the US conflict with Iran. The Federal Reserve pursues an inflation target of 2%.

In the bond market, yields moved mostly upward following the jobs report. The yield on the two-year US Treasury note rose from 4.34% to 4.36% on September 4, 2026. This maturity is particularly sensitive to expectations regarding Federal Reserve policy. At the beginning of 2026, the two-year yield had stood at 3.50%.

The yield on the ten-year US Treasury note fell slightly from 4.77% to 4.76%. This bond influences, among other things, mortgage rates and had been at 4.20% at the beginning of 2026.

Mixed picture at Asian exchanges

While the Nikkei 225 was able to gain significantly, performance at other Asian trading venues on September 4, 2026 varied. South Korea's Kospi closed with a gain of 1.6% at 6,687 points, though individual sources recorded a rise of 1.7% to 6,691 points.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 performed weaker and fell 0.2% to 9,006 points. In early trading, the index had been nearly unchanged at 9,012 points.

The tech rally on Wall Street provided particular tailwind for export-oriented markets in Japan and South Korea, while investors assessed the implications of a robust US job market for future monetary policy. The tension between continued strong job growth and the Federal Reserve's efforts to combat inflation through potential rate increases before year-end shaped market sentiment across the region.