What happened
PayPay Securities said Kioxia Holdings ranked #1 among domestic stocks by trading value bought on its platform from August 1 to 31, 2026, ahead of #2 Fujikura and #3 JX Metals.
Why it matters
The top ranks concentrated in AI, semiconductor, and data-center names, which suggests investor interest in communication-infrastructure demand tied to AI-driven data-center investment remained strong.
What to watch
The ranking reflects buy-side trading value, not overall market performance, so it hinges on demand trends and whether the Nikkei and TOPIX monthly gains continue.
WHO IT HITSThis lands on retail investors using smartphone brokerages like PayPay Securities, who can see which domestic stocks peers are buying, and on the IR and marketing teams of the ranked companies.
Summaries like this, in your inbox every morning.
PayPay Securities compiled this ranking from trades made on its own platform between August 1 and 31, 2026. The result places Kioxia Holdings, Fujikura, and JX Metals at #1, #2, and #3 respectively, with many other AI, semiconductor, and data-center names such as Taiyo Yuden (#11), Murata Manufacturing (#13), Advantest (#15), Tokyo Electron (#18), and Ibiden (#20) also appearing. Wiring and optical-fiber names like Furukawa Electric (#4) and Sumitomo Electric (#23) stayed high, alongside nonferrous metals and advanced materials plays such as Sumitomo Metal Mining (#17) and Mitsui Mining (#19).
Beyond technology, heavy-industry names including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (#7), Kawasaki Heavy Industries (#26), and IHI (#28) made the list, while Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (#9) reflected interest in rising domestic interest rates. Game, character, and consumer names like Nintendo (#5), Sanrio (#8), Aeon (#21), Oriental Land (#24), and Sony Group (#27) also ranked highly, and the Nikkei Average Challenge Course (Nikkei leverage ETF) placed #10. During August, the Nikkei Average and TOPIX both rose on a monthly basis, with electric wire, nonferrous metals, and information/communications sectors gaining.
What this ranking ultimately shows is where retail buying interest clustered rather than a verdict on returns, and it hinges on whether AI-related demand and data-center investment keep supporting these sectors, and whether the broader market's August gains carry into the following months. For the brokerages and companies involved, the signal is that individual investors on smartphone platforms are paying attention to a wide spread of industries, not just a single theme.
For example, today's edition would include:
AI-summarized, only the topics you pick — one digest a day via Email, Slack, or Discord.
Free · 30 seconds with Google · unsubscribe anytimeWhat is AIToday? →
Ask AI anything about this article. Q&As are published on this page for other readers too.
Morgan Stanley analyst Matthew Cost began covering Booking Holdings with an Overweight rating and a $230 price…
CEO Jim Taiclet told a Morgan Stanley panel Lockheed will pair the F-35 and advanced missiles with cheaper aut…
ServiceNow introduced AI Control Tower, Context Engine, and Shift Zero, tools for managing AI agent access, id…
On Sept. 1, Deere introduced JD, an AI assistant in its operations center that lets farmers ask about their ow…
Lockheed Martin has gone live with SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, Employee Central Payroll, Recruiting a…
At an IMTS media panel in Chicago, Honeywell Technologies CTO Mehul Patel predicted companies will eventually…
