Robot-related shares were active. Kikuchi Seisakusho Co., Ltd. <3444> hit its daily limit-up. Harmonic Drive Systems Inc. <6324> climbed to 4,815 yen, up 465 yen at one point, while Fanuc Corporation <6954>, Hirata Corporation <6258>, and other peers attracted strong interest. This follows news that U.S.-based Nvidia and Cadence Design Systems partnered to develop AI for robotics. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has highlighted the fusion of AI and robotics as the next revolution, with Japan as a key leader. This has placed "Physical AI" in the spotlight as a core investment theme. Harmonic Drive, a precision gear manufacturer, is seen as a prime beneficiary due to its specialized mechatronics technology aligning with Nvidia's vision.

Kauris <153A> rose sharply for a second straight day, hitting a year-to-date high. The company announced after the close on the 15th that its "Fraud Alert" service was adopted by The Tokyo Star Bank. The cloud-based service utilizes over 250 proprietary parameters to monitor fraudulent access. The bank aims to use the platform to strengthen digital channel security and detect suspicious overseas access or multiple applications.

Hioki E.E. Corporation <6866> hit its daily limit-up. After the 15th close, the company reported first-quarter operating profit of 2,306 million yen (up 27.8% year-on-year) on sales of 11,386 million yen (up 16.0%). Orders surged 25.3% to 12,279 million yen, driven by strong demand for electronic measuring instruments used in data center servers and energy storage systems (ESS). For the full fiscal year ending December 2026, Hioki forecasts operating profit of 7,680 million yen, a 13.1% increase.

Nikkato Corporation <5367> surged on high volume as capital flows into data center infrastructure. The company is positioned to benefit from surging demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) used in AI servers, counting Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. <6981> and Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd. <6976> as key customers. Nikkato projects operating profit of 966 million yen for the fiscal year ending March 2026, up 52%, though the market sees further upside potential given its low PBR of approximately 0.6x.

Ecomott Inc. <3987> hit its daily limit-up. The IoT integrator announced its participation in a maritime monitoring research consortium under the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA). The move sparked expectations of the company breaking new ground in the defense sector.

Sumiseki Holdings, Inc. <1514> rebounded after raising its full-year earnings and dividend forecasts. Consolidated net profit for the year ending March 2026 is now projected at 2,600 million yen, up from the previous 1,600 million yen, fueled by higher-than-expected dividend income from Australia's Wambo mine. The company raised its year-end dividend forecast to 20 yen from 15 yen.

*This report may contain unconfirmed information. Please make your own judgment regarding stock transactions at your own risk.

Source: MINKABU PRESS

*Translated by generative AI. Click here for the original article.