[Today's Market] May 1st | Quiet before the holiday, which direction will the next trend take?

Tokyo market on May 1st was steady despite a lack of clear direction.

The Nikkei average closed at 59,513 yen, up 228 yen from the previous day.

The U.S. market the previous day was led by tech earnings.

Meta Platformswas sold on guidance concerns,Microsoftalso drifted lower.

On the other hand,
Alphabetwas bought heavily and led the market higher.

In response to that momentum, the Tokyo market, as this was the last trading day before the holidays, saw a mix of buying and selling.

Overall, it was a range-bound session.

While the indices were steady, individual stocks were active.

Tokyo Electron rose more than 6% on strong earnings.
One stock added 307 yen to the Nikkei Average.

Furthermore
Sumitomo Corporation announced its second consecutive record high profit and a dividend increase, hitting the upper circuit.

On an individual basis, funds were clearly flowing toward stocks.

The exchange rate also moved.

With the BOJ intervention in mind, the dollar/yen briefly moved into the 155 yen range as yen strengthened.

This is a key point to watch for the future market as well.

Despite being the last day before the holidays,
the Nikkei Average, TOPIX, and the Growth 250 all finished higher.

The overall market environment is not bad.

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◆ Today’s Market Summary

・Nikkei Average rose 228 points to 59,513 yen
・U.S. markets showed mixed strength due to tech earnings
・Tokyo market remained light ahead of the holidays
・Individual stocks were active on strong results
・The FX market shifted toward a stronger yen
・Major indices were all in positive territory

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◆ Investor Notes

From March to April, the market faced a difficult phase for individual investors.
Semiconductors led the indices higher while individual stocks lagged behind.

Many may have struggled with this dynamic.

However, with the holiday coming up,
there is potential for a major shift in the situation.

If the market moves away from a semiconductor-centric regime and

the TOPIX sees solid buying,

it could finally create a favorable environment for individual investors to win more often.

Whether that change will appear remains to be seen.

This is a situation to watch closely.

After the holidays,

will this momentum continue,
or will there be a mid-course adjustment?

The timing to identify the next trend is just around the corner.