By Shinichi Saoshiro
TOKYO, July 25 (Reuters) - The Nikkei share average made
modest gains on Thursday after Wall Street rose overnight to
record highs, as investors in Japan showed retraint ahead of
policy decisions by the European Central Bank later in the day
and the Federal Reserve next week.
The Nikkei .N225 was up 0.4% at 21,797.49 as of 0130 GMT
after touching 21,823.07, its highest since May 7.
Chip equipment maker Advantest Corp 6857.T surged 18%
after earnings released the previous day showed that the
company's decline in April-June sales was not as steep as feared
earlier thanks to steady demand linked to 5G networks and
artificial intelligence. Other technology shares were supported after their U.S.
peers gained overnight and propelled the Nasdaq .IXIC and S&P
500 .SPI to fresh record peaks. .N
Semiconductor product manufacturer SUMCO Corporation
3436.T rose 2%, electronic component maker Rohm Co 6963.T
added 1.15% and Tokyo Electron 8035.T advanced 1.5%.
Index heavyweight SoftBank Group 9984.T was up 2.7% after
reports that the conglomerate is expected to announce a $40
billion investment into its technology-focused Vision Fund.
The broader Topix .TOPX was up 0.19% at 1,578.00.
(Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)