News On Japan

Nikkei stock index closes flat ahead of BOJ, FOMC policy decisions

AP — 2010-03-15 08:20:50

The Nikkei stock index closed almost flat Monday with investors taking a step back to wait and see the outcome of forthcoming policy decisions by the Japanese and U.S. central banks, while selling for quick profits weighed on the market. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.72 point, or 0.01 percent, from Friday to 10,751.98. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange gained 2.53 points, or 0.27 percent, to 938.91. (AP)

Japan is unloved, under-owned and most importantly undervalued

telegraph.co.uk — 2010-03-12 11:43:30

Now here's a funny thing. Five of the top 10 performers out of 1,965 unit trusts this year so far are Japan funds, but the sector is shunned by investors. While individual savings accounts (Isas) as a whole enjoyed their biggest-ever inflow last month, investors took £503,000 more out of Japan Isas than they paid in. Not that this mismatch between very short-term returns and popularity should come as any surprise. As the graph on this page demonstrates, the Nikkei 225 index has been stuck in a 20-year sulk while the FTSE 100 has powered ahead. (telegraph.co.uk)

Nikkei hits 7-week closing high as yen helps, BOJ eyed

Reuters — 2010-03-12 11:42:01

Japan's Nikkei average hit its highest close in seven weeks on Friday, with exporters helped by speculation that the yen may weaken if the Bank of Japan takes additional steps to ease monetary policy next week. Hitachi (6501.T) rose nearly 2 percent after its incoming president said he had no plans to carry out additional capital raising, and that the electronics conglomerate must return to profit at any cost in the year starting in April. Sources have told Reuters that Japan's central bank is leaning toward easing monetary policy again at its two-day policy review that ends on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Investors unconvinced by Fujitsu claims, TSE probe

Japan Times — 2010-03-10 21:40:30

Fujitsu Ltd. has drawn renewed calls from investors to shed more light on the departure of former President Kuniaki Nozoe after the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended a probe Tuesday into the conflicting reasons given by the firm. The TSE ended its probe of Fujitsu after determining the company didn't mislead investors enough to warrant further action. In response, the nation's largest provider of computer services said it will strive to disclose information appropriately. (Japan Times)

Nikkei climbs to 7-week high as exporters gain

Reuters — 2010-03-11 11:15:34

Japan's Nikkei average rose 1 percent to a seven-week high on Thursday, with exporters such as Sony Corp (6758.T) climbing after the yen dipped and U.S. wholesale inventories fell unexpectedly in January. Gains in financial shares also helped buoy the broader market, with big banks such as Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T) rising after a rally in their U.S. peers and consumer lenders extending gains after an upbeat brokerage report on the sector. (Reuters)

Japan stocks flat; Toyota falls on mounting woes

BusinessWeek — 2010-03-10 22:19:25

Japanese stocks finished flat Wednesday, as declines by shipping lines and Toyota Motor Corp. offset encouraging economic data. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index slipped 3.73 points, or .04 percent, to 10,563.92 in thin trading. With few trading cues, the overall market struggled to find direction. The broader Topix index fell 0.2 percent to 922.44. Toyota shed 1.4 percent to 3,445 yen after the besieged automaker faced more concerns about its quality problems. (BusinessWeek)

Companies abandoning smaller bourses to focus on TSE

Asahi — 2010-03-09 04:49:21

In a trend that could undermine smaller bourses in Japan, more companies are concentrating their shares solely on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). According to TSE records, the number of companies whose shares were listed on the TSE as well as one of Japan's four other stock markets in Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo has slid from 1,042 in 1999 to 773 in 2009. Many companies have pulled out of the smaller bourses to save on the annual commissions paid to those stock exchanges, which range from hundreds of thousand yen to millions of yen, and to reduce paperwork. (Asahi)

Nikkei down after hitting 6-week high

AP — 2010-03-09 08:33:27

Japan's Nikkei stock index fell Tuesday on profit-taking after rising to a six-week high, but losses were limited as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the release of key Asian indicators. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average fell 18.27 points, or 0.2 percent, to 10,567.65 after hitting a six-week high Monday. The broader Topix index shed 0.3 percent to 924.38. "Investors locked in profits following yesterday's rally. It was technical selling," said Masatoshi Sato, market analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities Co. Ltd. (AP)

Nikkei closes at 6-week high on eased fears about U.S. economy

AP — 2010-03-08 10:02:45

Tokyo stocks jumped around 2 percent Monday, sending the key Nikkei index to a six-week closing high, on eased fears about the U.S. economy due to better-than-forecast U.S. jobs, which helped lift Wall Street and the U.S. dollar relative to the yen. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 216.96 points, or 2.09 percent, from Friday to 10,585.92, marking the highest closing level since Jan. 22 when it finished at 10,590.55. (AP)

For sceptics of Japan's stock market, the jellyfish might have a sting in the tail

telegraph.co.uk — 2010-03-06 23:38:22

Appetising it was not but it did seem entirely apt that my first meal in Tokyo should include a dish described as "two kinds of jellyfish with pickled vegetables". Nothing had been lost in translation, I can assure you. It tasted every bit as awful as it sounds and the glutinous tendrils had an unforgettably unpleasant texture. You need a strong stomach to venture onto the wilder shores of this island's cuisine - and stronger nerves to invest in its stock market. The Nikkei 225 index has been stuck in a 20-year sulk and trades today at barely one quarter of the all time peak it hit in 1990. (telegraph.co.uk)

Tokyo pins IPO hopes on insurer's bumper offer

Reuters — 2010-03-06 00:28:38

IPOs don't get much larger than the $12 billion offering from Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Co, Japan's second-biggest insurer, and optimism is running high that it will kickstart the country's moribund IPO market. The IPO, potentially the world's largest after credit card firm Visa Inc's (V.N) $19.7 billion offering in 2008, is so big that Tokyo's stock exchange TSE.UL has amended trading rules for the shares on their debut even after its launch of a new turbo-charged trading system. (Reuters)

Tokyo stocks rise on weaker yen amid report on BOJ monetary easing

AP — 2010-03-06 00:33:52

Tokyo stocks rebounded Friday morning as investor sentiment was buoyed by a weaker yen following a news report that the Bank of Japan may implement further monetary easing. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 209.91 points, or 2.07 percent, from Thursday to 10,355.63. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange gained 13.70 points, or 1.53 percent, to 911.34. In contrast to the previous trading day, all 33 sectors on the TSE advanced, led by real estate, warehouse and sea transport issues. (AP)

Tokyo stocks stay flat as stronger yen caps Greece hopes

AP — 2010-03-04 09:05:36

Tokyo stocks were mostly flat Thursday morning in Tokyo as a stronger yen capped buying incentives from fresh austerity measures announced by Greece to rein in its ballooning debt. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 2.96 points, or 0.03 percent, from Wednesday to 10,250.18. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 0.08 point, or 0.01 percent, to 905.73. (AP)

Tokyo stocks gain on hopes about Greece bailout

AP — 2010-03-03 08:46:28

rose marginally Wednesday, with investors taking comfort over an imminent announcement of a bailout package for debt-ridden Greece, which helped lift U.S. and European stocks overnight. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average (AP)

Japanese Stocks Rise as Chip Companies Advance; Sekisui Gains

BusinessWeek — 2010-03-02 09:54:51

Japanese stocks rose for a third day as global chip sales climbed and U.S. consumer spending increased more than expected. Sumco Corp. led gains by chip-related stocks. Sony Corp., an electronics maker that gets almost 25 percent of sales in the U.S., advanced 1.3 percent. Sekisui House Ltd., Japan's second- biggest homebuilder, climbed 3.3 percent after the company forecast a return to profit. Nintendo Co. jumped 3.1 percent after Kyodo News said the company sold more than 10 million Wii consoles in Japan. (BusinessWeek)

Inventors struggling to strike jackpot

Yomiuri — 2010-03-02 06:32:43

Atsuko Yoda used to get frustrated that her soap would get sticky after getting wet. After searching high and low for a solution to her sudsy struggle, she eventually decided to take matters into her own hands. The result was "oshare soupu disshu caba" (stylish net for soap dishes)--a net that covers a soap dish to prevent the cake of soap from directly touching it, thereby helping the soap dry more quickly. Yoda's invention three years ago has not only given her one less thing to worry about, but also is providing her with some pocket money: The cover sells for 1,050 yen, and Yoda expects to sell 1,000 of them this year. (Yomiuri)

Japan stocks rise on reported Greece rescue plan, rising copper price after quake in Chile

canadianbusiness.com — 2010-03-01 11:29:01

Japanese stocks rose Monday as investors cheered a report on a rescue plan for Greece's debt-ridden economy, while metal shares rose on a jump in copper prices following a killer earthquake in Chile, the world's top copper producer. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index increased 46.03 points, or 0.5 percent, to 10,172.06. The broader Topix index edged up 0.5 percent to 898.93. (canadianbusiness.com)

World waking up to signs of Japanese resurgence

Times Online — 2010-02-28 04:51:08

Could dawn really be in sight at long last in the land of the rising sun? Several prominent fund managers certainly think so and are rushing to buy Japanese shares ahead of an expected stock market correction in western markets. The economy in Japan has drifted sideways for years, while shares have continued to fall in value following the 1989 Nikkei peak of 38,915. Today it stands at about 10,380. However, following stellar performance from emerging markets last year, as well as strong stock market rises in Britain, North America and Europe, Japan is one place that has not yet bounced back and may - finally - hold out some promise for investors. (Times Online)

Tokyo stocks inch higher on upbeat Jan. output, U.S. data awaited

AP — 2010-02-26 08:19:15

Tokyo stocks edged up Friday after choppy trading as better-than- expected Japanese industrial output data for January supported buybacks after a three-day losing streak, although gains were capped as investors cautiously awaited U.S. economic data and other key events next week. After drifting in and out of negative territory in the morning, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average closed up 24.07 points, or 0.24 percent, from Thursday at 10,126.03. (AP)

A new dawn for investing in Japan

moneyobserver.com — 2010-02-25 21:39:16

After decades in the doldrums, undervalued Japan is back on investors' radar, reports Heather Connon Japan could be described as full of Eastern promise as every few years it seems to promise great riches for investors. But invariably the promises are exposed as empty. While Western markets have suffered from one lost decade, Japan is coming to the end of its second one: its stock market is only worth around a quarter of the value it was at the end of the 1980s. And while there have been occasional rallies - 2005 was a good year - these have quickly petered out. (moneyobserver.com)

Tokyo stocks fall as stronger yen outweighs Fed chief's rate remarks

AP — 2010-02-25 11:01:25

Tokyo stocks fell Thursday for the third consecutive session, as mounting pressure from the yen's advance in the currency market outweighed initial gains on bargain-hunting spurred by the U.S. Federal Reserve chief's commitment to keep interest rates low. Despite a positive start, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average declined 96.87 points, or 0.95 percent, from Wednesday to 10,101.96. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 4.28 points, or 0.48 percent, to 891.41. By sector, glass and ceramics saw the largest percentage decline, followed by mining and sea transport. The warehouse, electricity and gas, and retailer sectors were among the major gainers. (AP)

Tokyo stocks fall as strong yen, U.S. consumer unease hit exporters

AP — 2010-02-24 07:47:34

Tokyo stocks tumbled Wednesday, led by losses in exporter shares such as electronics makers brought on by a stronger yen, with investor sentiment dampened on a sharp fall in U.S. consumer confidence. While losses were slightly trimmed from the day's low, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 153.27 points, or 1.48 percent, from Tuesday to 10,198.83. (AP)

Japan stocks down as yen rises, investors await Toyota testimony

canadianbusiness.com — 2010-02-23 10:32:33

Japanese stocks retreated Tuesday as investors locked in profits from the previous day's big gains and waited to see how Toyota Motor Corp. executives fare under questioning by U.S. lawmakers. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average slipped 48.37 points, or 0.5 percent, to 10,352.10. On Monday, the index rose 2.7 percent in its sharpest climb in 11 weeks. (canadianbusiness.com)

Japan eyes commodity boom as home-grown ETFs launch

Reuters — 2010-02-23 09:33:18

A trickle of recently-launched commodity-linked funds in Japan is set to swell in coming years as stodgy savers, pension funds and regional banks search for higher returns beyond the usual mix of bonds and equities. Money managers looking to offer more commodity asset products to customers are eyeing a share of an estimated $20 trillion pool of investment funds -- or 1.5 times U.S. GDP -- held by retail investors, life insurers and corporate pension funds. (Reuters)

'Gratitude' spurs JAL stock splurge

Yomiuri — 2010-02-22 21:24:11

Even though shares in Japan Airlines were rendered worthless Saturday following the firm's delisting, an Osaka Prefecture woman snapped up 10,000 shares out of gratitude for an incident that occurred half a century ago. JAL currently is undergoing rehabilitation under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law. "JAL provided me with a large slice of happiness, and I want nothing more than to see the company get back on its feet," Taeko Matsubara said. (Yomiuri)