TOKYO, July 3 (Reuters) - The benchmark Nikkei average <.N225> fell 1.4 percent and the broader Topix <.TOPX> lost 1.1 percent on Friday.
SINGAPORE, July 3 (Reuters) - Jardine Cycle & Carriage , which controls Indonesia's largest automotive distributor Astra International, may be in focus on Friday after Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to "buy" and raised its target price.
July 2 (Bloomberg) -- European and Asian stocks fell and U.S. index futures retreated after unemployment in America climbed to the highest level since 1983.
July 2 (Bloomberg) -- European and Asian stocks and U.S. index futures retreated before a report that may show unemployment in America climbed to the highest level since 1983.
TOKYO, July 2 (Reuters) - The benchmark Nikkei average <.N225> and the broader Topix <.TOPX> both fell about 0.4 percent on Thursday.
| Jul 03 | Japan's Real Estate Trusts Rise from the Abyss (FinanceAsia) |
| Japan's 40 real estate investment trusts (Reits) are slowly and painfully recovering from their worst experience since they were introduced in 2001. However, some analysts still see major structural problems in the industry. |
| Jul 02 | Tokyo stocks down on caution ahead of U.S. jobs data, lack of cues (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks fell Thursday as investors decided to lock in profits amid a lack of major trading cues and awaited U.S. jobs data for June due out later in the day, hoping for more signs of economic recovery. |
| Jul 02 | Japan housewives to shun currency markets on new rule (Bloomberg) |
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| Jul 01 | Tokyo shares blush crimson (Forbes) |
| Major Asian stock markets open on Wednesday were an expanse of red, as a smaller-than-expected improvement in manufacturing sentiment and plans by manufacturers to cut capital spending by record levels hammered Tokyo shares. Seoul and Shanghai stocks bucked the trend though, as South Korea posted a record trade surplus and China's manufacturing sentiment improved. |
| Jul 01 | How Japan's unlikely shareholder rebellion could lead to profit plays for Western investors (moneymorning.com) |
| The normally reticent Japanese investors - long accustomed, or even resigned, to public subtlety and backroom wheeling and dealing - are becoming fed up with this system and are becoming quite brazen in their protests. And very direct, as well. |
| Jul 01 | Japan REIT market hits 8-mth high, more gains seen (Reuters) |
| Japan's real estate investment trust market climbed to an eight-month high on Monday as investors grew more optimistic about the sector's financial health and analysts forecast more upside ahead. |
| Jun 30 | Japan fund managers cut stock weighting to 6-yr low (guardian.co.uk) |
| Japanese fund managers cut their global stock weighting to a new six-year low in June, worried that share prices may have risen too far without sufficiently strong evidence of a recovery for the world economy. They also lifted their bond allocations to a record level on on the view that the recent debate about inflation and the search by central banks for eventual exit strategies from current easy policies has been overdone in light of the fragile state of the global economy. |
| Jun 29 | Tokyo stocks fall on share sale concern as investors await key data (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks fell Monday on worries over share value dilution from expected equity sales by two big financial institutions, erasing early gains, as investors awaited key domestic and overseas economic indicators this week. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 93.92 points, or 0.95 percent, from Friday to 9,783.47, snapping a three-day winning streak. |
| Jun 26 | Suzuki shares surge on possible Volkswagen tie-up (Reuters) |
| Shares of Suzuki Motor (7269.T: Quote, Profile, Research) raced to a 10-month high after a source said Volkswagen (VOWG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) is exploring a deal to cooperate with the Japanese automaker to boost its presence in ultra-small cars. |
| Jun 26 | Japan Post urged to freeze initial public offerings of shares (AP) |
| Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Tsutomu Sato urged Japan Post on Friday to freeze its initial public offerings of shares in itself and two of its subsidiaries planned for fiscal 2010 ending in March 2011. "No one believes stock offerings are appropriate," Sato told a news conference after the government ordered Japan Post in April to improve its business practices over scandals including its failed sale of the Kampo-no-yado nationwide resort inn network. |
| Jun 25 | It's time to be big in Japan (Motley Fool) |
| Japan's post-war "economic miracle" drove the country on to ever greater economic heights which, from the investment point of view, peaked in December 1989 with the Nikkei at a dizzyingly high 38,957. Since then, it's been down, down, down as the Nikkei chart shows. The last time the Nikkei was at this level, we hadn't even started the miners' strike, the new romantics were, well ...new, and for those old enough to remember it, "Big in Japan" hadn't even been a hit yet. |
| Jun 24 | Tokyo stocks rebound on resource gains, China recovery hopes (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks rebounded Wednesday, buoyed by gains in resource shares and rallies in other Asian markets on hopes for China's economic recovery, although caution ahead of U.S. data and Federal Reserve announcements capped gains. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 40.71 points, or 0.43 percent, to 9,590.32 from Tuesday, when it dropped almost 3 percent to a one-month closing low. |
| Jun 23 | Nikkei down almost 3% on renewed economic worries, weak resource shares (AP) |
| Japan's Nikkei stock index dropped almost 3 percent Tuesday to close in the 9,500 range for the first time in more than three weeks amid rekindled global economic jitters, while lower commodity prices and a stronger yen added to the broad-based decline. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 276.66 points, or 2.82 percent, from Monday to 9,549.61. It was the benchmark's lowest close since May 29 when it logged 9,522.50. |
| Jun 22 | Fukuoka bourse seeks to list Asian firms to energize trading (AP) |
| The Fukuoka Stock Exchange is planning to create a new system to list Asian companies on the bourse to stimulate trading, according to sources close to the matter. The FSE is in talks with the Financial Services Agency and aims to decide on screening rules for foreign stock listing by September and to inaugurate the new system possibly in January next year, the sources said. |
| Jun 22 | Japan stocks nudge higher after down week (boston.com) |
| Japanese stocks rose modestly Monday after trading in a narrow band throughout the day as investors remained cautious about whether the economy is headed toward a recovery. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index edged up 40.01 points, or 0.4 percent, to 9,826.27. The broader Topix index gained 3.51 points, or 0.3 percent, to 922.48. |
| Jun 22 | Wallets will snap shut in Japan (Wall Street Journal) |
| A comeback by Japanese consumers? Don't bet on a lasting one. Consumer sentiment is on the rise, last month reaching levels not seen since March 2008. Recent government spending and expansion of the unemployment safety net get most of the credit. The recovery in stock prices is helping, an important factor because more individuals than ever invested in stocks in the year through March, the Tokyo Stock Exchange said Friday. |
| Jun 21 | FY 2008 stock dividends by listed firms to mark 1st drop in 7 years (AP) |
| The total amount of stock dividends planned to be paid by listed firms for fiscal 2008 is expected to mark the first drop in seven years, mirroring deteriorating business results amid the global economic downturn, an economic think tank said Saturday. The combined amount of dividends by about 2,700 firms in the year ended March 31 is projected to total about 6.09 trillion yen, down 9.0 percent from the previous year, according to the Financial & Economic Research Center of Nomura Securities Co. |
| Jun 20 | Nonresident ownership of shares dives 4% (Japan Times) |
| Nonresident investors owned 23.6 percent of shares traded on stock exchanges in Japan in fiscal 2008, down 4.0 percentage points from the previous year in the largest fall on record, the Tokyo Stock Exchange said Friday. |
| Jun 19 | Tokyo stocks rebound on rosy U.S. data, gains capped before weekend (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks rose Friday after upbeat U.S. job and manufacturing data revived hopes for better economic prospects, although gains were capped by some profit-taking ahead of the weekend. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 82.54 points, or 0.85 percent, from Thursday to 9,786.26. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 7.76 points, or 0.85 percent, to 918.97. |
| Jun 19 | Beleaguered Japanese companies face the judgment of shareholders (FT.com) |
| When Sir Howard Stringer addresses hundreds of Sony's shareholders today, the man who runs one of Japan's best-recognised brands will have some uncomfortable questions to answer. He faces the frustration of the electronic group's numerous individual shareholders who will be flocking to the annual meeting to hear how Sony's chief executive intends to reverse the company's miserable performance . |
| Jun 19 | Struggling Elpida soon to apply for gov't financial aid program (AP) |
| Struggling chipmaker Elpida Memory Inc. is set to become the first Japanese company to apply for a new government aid program Friday in a bid to shore up its financial health, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday. |
| Jun 19 | Ex-Livedoor execs ordered to pay 62 mil. yen in damages to shareholders (AP) |
| The Tokyo District Court on Thursday ordered Livedoor Co., now LDH Corp., Takafumi Horie, the founder and former president of Livedoor, and other former executives of the company to pay some 61.98 million yen in compensation for stock losses to shareholders due to accounting fraud. |
| Jun 18 | Why Japan Is Leading the Small-Cap ETF Rally (nasdaq.com) |
| The outlook for Japan's economy is not as doom and gloom as once anticipated, with an upgrade to exports and industrial production giving hope to the overall economic picture. Related stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are on the move in response to the news. |
| Jun 17 | Nikkei edges up after sharp slide, Sanyo surges (Reuters) |
| Japan's Nikkei stock average edged up 0.9 percent on Wednesday, with Sanyo Electric (6764.T) surging after saying it had secured buyers for its batteries used in hybrid cars. |
| Jun 16 | World's biggest pension fund may sell Japanese bonds this year (Bloomberg) |
| Japan's public pension fund, the world's largest with about 120 trillion yen ($1.2 trillion) in reserves, said it may sell Japanese government bonds this year to cover payments to retirees. The Government Pension Investment Fund, the biggest buyer of the nation's government bonds, won't receive more money from the state after it was made independent in 2006, President Takahiro Kawase said. |
| Jun 16 | Tokyo stocks fall 3% on dented economy hopes, Nikkei below 10,000 (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks on Tuesday suffered the sharpest percentage loss since March 30, falling around 3 percent on dented hopes for a quick U.S. economic recovery while a stronger yen exacerbated damage to exporters. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 286.79 points, or 2.86 percent, from Monday to 9,752.88, slipping below the psychologically important 10,000 line for the first time in three trading days. |
| Jun 13 | Road to full recovery likely bumpy (Japan Times) |
| Investors may have breathed a sigh of relief as the Nikkei stock index recovered briefly to the 10,000 line Thursday for the first time since the global financial crisis sparked a plunge last October, reflecting strong optimism that the worst of the recession is over. |
| Jun 12 | Nikkei rises to close above 10,000 for 1st time in 8 months (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks rose sharply Friday, lifting the key Nikkei index to close above 10,000 for the first time since Oct. 7 last year, as a string of encouraging data from the world's three largest economies reinforced optimism about a recovery from the global recession. |
| Jun 12 | Private-public fund mulled to help Japan REITs (Reuters) |
| Japan's major real estate firms, banks and the government are planning to set up a 300-500 billion yen ($3.1-5.1 billion) fund to shore up the country's real estate investment trusts by buying bonds issued by them, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Friday. |
| Jun 10 | Nikkei hits new 8-month high on optimism, nears 10,000 line (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks surged Wednesday, with the key Nikkei index rising to a fresh eight-month closing high just short of the 10,000 line, on strong gains in resource and financial shares amid rising hopes for U.S. and Chinese economic recovery. |
| Jun 09 | How an entrepreneur struck gold in Japan's FX market (FinanceAsia) |
| Despite the rigours of the experience, Gow's story confirms that Asia can still be a gold mine, and that even risk-averse Japan can reward the right person who has that special blend of guts and sensitivity that working outside your culture requires. |
| Jun 08 | Nikkei briefly tops 9,900 line on weak yen, U.S. economy hopes (AP) |
| Japan's key Nikkei index surpassed the 9,900 line Monday morning to a new eight-month intraday high, as a weakening yen lifted exporters and the outlook for the U.S. economy was buoyed by fewer-than-expected May job cuts. |
| Jun 05 | TSE to host trading of Asian bond index-based fund from June 19 (AP) |
| The Tokyo Stock Exchange said Friday it has approved the listing of an exchange-traded fund linked to an index that tracks the prices of government and other public bonds issued by other Asian countries. |
| Jun 05 | Japan Capex May Have Bottomed After Record 1Q Drop (Wall Street Journal) |
| Japanese capital investment fell at its sharpest rate on record in the first quarter of 2009, government data showed Thursday, as recession-stricken manufacturers continued to slash spending, though signs have emerged that corporate conditions have improved recently. Business investment plunged by 25.3% during the January-March period, the fastest pace since comparable data became available in mid-2002, the Ministry of Finance's quarterly survey of corporations' financial statistics showed. |
| Jun 04 | J-REITs to buy fewer Japan properties this year (Bloomberg) |
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| Jun 03 | Securitized debt makes a comeback in Japan (New York Times) |
| Securitized debt may have been behind the mortgage crisis, but it still has its uses. Takefuji, one of the largest consumer lenders in Japan, aims to raise as much as ¥100 billion, or $1 billion, by securitizing its loan book and borrowing from other institutions, the bank's president, Akira Kiyokawa, told Bloomberg News on Wednesday. |
| Jun 03 | Nikkei Rises a 6th Day, Led by Glassmakers, Chemicals (Bloomberg) |
| Japanese stocks edged up, sending the Nikkei 225 Stock Average to its longest winning streak in five months, led by glassmakers on optimism sales of flat-screen materials will recover. |
| Jun 01 | Bubble trouble haunts Japan 20 years after crash (The Age) |
| Japan is booming, hot, going places, an oasis from the global crisis. One might be excused for believing that's true with a cursory look at the stock market. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average has jumped 30 per cent in the last three months alone. That might be fine if not for a deepening recession and the steady return of the deflation that Japan thought it had finally defeated. |
| May 29 | Tokyo, London stock exchanges' new bourse to begin operations Mon. (AP) |
| A new bourse that the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange are set to open only for institutional, corporate and other professional investors will begin operations Monday, the bourse said Friday. |
| May 29 | Nikkei rises to 7-month high on Japan economy hopes, output data (AP) |
| Japan's key Nikkei stock index surged past 9,500 on Friday to a seven- month closing high as better-than-expected industrial output lifted hopes for a Japanese economic recovery. |
| May 28 | Japan may scrap 50 trillion-yen plan to prop up stock market (Bloomberg) |
| Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party may abandon a bill that would set aside 50 trillion yen ($520 billion) to buy shares from the market because stocks have rebounded from a 26-year low, lawmakers said. |
| May 28 | Japan investors pour $2.4 billion into mutual funds (Reuters) |
| Japanese retail investors poured $2.4 billion into mutual funds on Wednesday, investing in semiconductor firms, banks and U.S. junk bonds, in the biggest single-day of fund launches this year. |
| May 27 | Tokyo stocks up on upbeat U.S. consumer confidence, Japan trade data (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks climbed Wednesday on lifted hopes for brighter U.S. and global economic prospects, following a jump in U.S. consumer confidence and signs of moderate recovery in Japanese exports. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 127.96 points, or 1.37 percent, from Tuesday to 9,438.77. |
| May 27 | TSE set to launch delayed AIM for professional investors in June (Yomiuri) |
| The Tokyo Stock Exchange Group, Inc. will launch Tokyo AIM, a new market exclusively for professional investors, at the beginning of June at the earliest, it has been learned. Although the launch has been postponed from the initially planned opening earlier this year, it has drawn attention amid speculation it could revitalize the Tokyo market. |
| May 27 | Japan's J-REIT Market to Get a $10.5 Billion Bailout (seekingalpha.com) |
| Japan's J-REIT market was launched in 2001 amid a lot of doubt among foreign investors that the market would ever take off, but take off it did, particularly from 2003, when Japan's decade-long "Heisei Malaise" ostensibly ended, and the Nikkei 225 bottomed at around 7,600 in April of that year. |
| May 26 | Nikkei down 0.5 pct; N.Korea, futures selling weighs (Reuters) |
| Japan's Nikkei average fell 0.5 percent on Tuesday, pulled lower after North Korea warned of further short-range missile tests and weighed down by selling in the futures market. |
| May 26 | Zen and the Japanese economy (istockanalyst.com) |
| No analysis of the global credit crisis and its aftermath can be complete without some reference to Japan. Some folks say the U.S. economy is headed for a Japan-style "Lost Decade". Others point to Japanese stocks and their failure to come anywhere close to their late 1980s bubble era highs as a stern warning that the U.S. market may never recover its previous highs. Both are wrong. |
| May 25 | Tokyo stocks rise despite N. Korea nuclear test (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks rose Monday on heavy buying of resource and pharmaceutical shares as well as relief from a weakening yen, shrugging off jitters over North Korea's claimed nuclear test which unnerved some other key Asian markets. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 121.19 points, or 1.31 percent, from Friday to 9,347.00. It hit a two-week intraday high of 9,402.76 in early trading, the highest since May 11. |
| May 23 | Japan: Land of rising risk (BNet) |
 Japan is looking less and less like its former self by the day. In fact, the country appears as if it is deliberately switching strategies for handling its economy, which is the world's second largest, in recent months.
While the yen has been on the climb vs. the dollar, Japanese Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano said that his government would not intervene to prevent any further strengthening. While it's not uncommon for Japan to allow some strengthening in the yen for a bit, it's extremely rare for any officials to confirm their reluctance to do so when that process is well underway.
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| May 22 | All 33 TSE industrial sectors see either pretax losses or profit falls (AP) |
| All of the 33 industrial sectors on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange suffered either combined pretax losses or declines in combined pretax profits in fiscal 2008 amid the global economic slowdown and the stronger yen, Nikko Cordial Securities Inc. said Thursday. |