The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.6% to above 49,600 on Wednesday, recouping some losses from earlier this week as a positive session on Wall Street and a rebound in bitcoin signaled improving risk sentiment. Investors also looked ahead to an expected US Federal Reserve rate cut next week and considered the potential for a year-end rally in global equities. At home, markets continued to assess the likelihood of a Bank of Japan rate hike this month following recent hawkish remarks from policymakers, even as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government maintains a preference for loose monetary settings. Technology stocks led the climb, with notable gains from SoftBank Group (2.6%), Advantest (4%), Fujikura (2.3%), Tokyo Electron (3.9%) and Lasertec (3.8%). In contrast, financial and consumer names mostly declined, including Mitsubishi UFJ (-1.8%), Sumitomo Mitsui (-2%) and Toyota Motor (-1.6%).