Japan's Nikkei rises ahead of BOJ decision; Advantest jumps
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Japan's Nikkei share average edged higher on Thursday as investors awaited the Bank of Japan's latest interest rate decision, and developments in the U.S. trade talks with Tokyo's top negotiator in Washington. The Nikkei rose 0.4% to 36,177.63, as of 0150 GMT, with the BOJ's policy announcement due some time in the late Tokyo morning or early afternoon. The broader Topix was flat. The tech-heavy Nikkei was buoyed by a 6.3% jump for chip-testing equipment maker Advantest, as it tracked after-hours advances for U.S. tech megacaps Meta Platforms and Microsoft on strong financial results. Japan's central bank is widely expected to leave rates steady, while cutting growth forecasts. Investors will be more focused on what BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda has to say on the impact of U.S. trade policy in the board's thinking about when to next raise interest rates. Live Events Market-implied odds for a quarter-point hike by yea...