The Nikkei Stock Average opened in the early 64,400 range on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on the 4th, up approximately 200 points from the previous close, as buying focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor-related companies. The index briefly gained more than 300 points, extending momentum from advances in all three major U.S. equity indexes in the prior session. Federal Reserve Governor Waller said on the 3rd that signs of slowing inflation were emerging and indicated he would support keeping the policy rate unchanged at the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Fed’s rate-setting body, meeting scheduled for the 15th–16th if incoming data confirmed the trend. His comments reduced expectations for near-term rate hikes and pushed U.S. long-term interest rates lower, supporting cyclical and mega-cap technology stocks. SoftBank Group, Advantest, Fujikura, Fast Retailing, Recruit Holdings and Fanuc rose, while Nitto Denko and Ibiden fell. The TOPIX opened lower as Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui and Co. faced profit-taking after notable gains the previous day. TSE Growth Market 250 Index futures settled overnight at 785 points, up 9 points from the previous regular session’s daytime close, with market participants identifying 795 points as resistance and 770 points as support. Futures were expected to trade mixed, with bargain-hunting interest balanced by overhead supply and resistance at the 5-day moving average of 788 points, the Ichimoku conversion line at 791 points and the upper Bollinger Band sigma at 800 points. U.S. long-term yields remain central to market direction, while investors are watching the FOMC decision and economic data for confirmation that inflation is slowing. Tokyo technology and semiconductor shares, which are sensitive to U.S. interest-rate movements, are likely to remain key drivers of the broader market.