The 225-issue Nikkei average finally topped an all-time high that was recorded at the height of the economic bubble era in 1989 after stocks surged during Thursday¡¯s trading session, even breaching the 39,000 level for the first time.

The benchmark index rose sharply after markets opened to reach the 39,000 mark, surpassing 1989¡¯s 38,915.87. The index closed at 39,098.68, up by 836.52 points from the previous day.

Strong earnings results from major U.S. chip firm Nvidia helped to buoy semiconductor- and artificial intelligence-related shares, such as Tokyo Electron and SoftBank Group, which have also been the driving forces for the Nikkei index since January.