Japan stocks rebound on peace hopes and tech rally

Japan's markets surged on Friday. The Nikkei 225 jumped 2.81% to close at 66,020, while the Topix Index climbed 1.35% to 3,882. The rebound came after President Trump suggested a peace deal with Iran could be signed in Europe this weekend, sending oil prices lower and easing concerns for Japan's oil-dependent economy.

Investor mood was also boosted by anticipation of SpaceX's Wall Street debut, expected to raise about $75 billion at a valuation near $1.78 trillion. Technology and AI-related stocks led the rally: Kioxia Holdings rose 7.6%, Tokyo Electron surged 7.3%, SoftBank Group added 1.5%, and Advantest advanced 8.5%.

Financial and consumer names also gained ground, with Sumitomo Mitsui up 3.3%, Mizuho Financial rising 2.3%, and Fast Retailing climbing 2.6%.