Nikkei rises for third session as AI optimism returns

Japan's Nikkei rose 1.31% to close at 61,248.59 on Wednesday, its third consecutive gain, as economic data and earnings reports supported optimism about artificial intelligence. The broader Topix gained 0.92% to 3,929.39.

Manufacturers' confidence reached its strongest level in more than five years, supported by semiconductor demand. Investors looked ahead to major chip-sector earnings after last week's AI-related sell-off.

SoftBank Group finished 0.44% lower after announcing a quarterly net loss of 1.1 trillion yen. It recovered much of an earlier decline of more than 10%. These figures describe the November 11 closing session, not forecasts of future returns.