Nikkei 225 index rises more than 1% for the first time in history to close above 45,000 points.

The Nikkei index closed above 45,000 points for the first time on Thursday, supported by technology stocks and optimistic sentiment after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates as expected by 25 basis points. The Nikkei 225 index surged by 1.15% to close at 45,303.43 points, hitting an intraday record high of 45,508.67 points, surpassing the previous high set earlier this week. The TOPIX index rebounded from early losses and rose by 0.4%. Global markets had been anxiously awaiting the Fed's interest rate cut and signals of further stimulus measures from the U.S., as the U.S. is a major destination market for Japanese exports. "The Nikkei index opened higher today, boosted by last night's FOMC meeting approving the interest rate cut, a rebound in the Dow and sustained depreciation of the yen," said Nomura strategist Maki Sawada. "The 45,000-point level is indeed a psychological barrier, and after breaking through, the market environment seems favorable for profit-taking." Traders' focus has now shifted to the Bank of Japan's two-day meeting, which will conclude on Friday. While the market generally expects policymakers to maintain the key interest rate, they will closely watch for signals of when the central bank may resume raising rates as part of its long-term normalization strategy. Of the stocks in the Nikkei index, 129 rose and 94 fell. Semiconductor supplier Resonac Holdings surged by 11.7%, leading the Nikkei index, while chip giants Advantest and Tokyo Electron both rose by around 5%. The biggest decliners were utility stocks, with Tokyo Electric Power falling by 7.7% and Tokyo Gas dropping by 5.2%.