^N225 - Nikkei 225
| Previous close | 23,479.15 |
| Open | 23,427.77 |
| Volume | 0 |
| Day's range | 23,378.33 - 23,588.55 |
| 52-week range | 20,110.76 - 24,115.95 |
| Avg. volume | 59,944 |
Reuters VideosGlobal shares edge higher on Chinese support measures
Edging back towards a three week high, Asian shares reversed losses on Monday (February 17) thanks to further efforts from Beijing to cushion the blow from a coronavirus outbreak. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan advanced 0.3%. China's blue-chip index jumped 2% after the country's central bank lowered one of its key interest rates and injected more liquidity into the system. Beijing also announced plans to roll out targeted and phased tax and fee cuts. Fears about the jolt to the world economy still lingered though. Restrictions were tightened further in China's worst affected province, with most vehicles banned from the roads and companies told to stay shut until further notice. Japanese stocks faltered. The Nikkei stumbled 0.7% after the country's economy shrank at the fastest pace in almost six years in the December quarter. The hit to the world's third-largest economy comes as the coronavirus damages output and tourism, stoking fears Japan may slump into a recession. In Europe, sentiment was up following Beijing's support measures. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.3% in early trade. But given so many European companies depend on China as part of their supply chain, local markets are expected to trade cautiously as they await concrete news on whether the outbreak will dent China's long-term growth outlook.
- Associated Press
Stocks sink, Treasury prices soar as investors seek safety
Stocks fell and bond prices rose sharply on Wall Street Friday amid signs that economic fallout from the viral outbreak that originated in China is hurting U.S. companies. The yield on the 30-year Treasury reached a record low as investors sought the safety of U.S. government bonds. New data showing manufacturing and business activity suddenly slowed this month stoked investors' anxiety over the outbreak’s impact on company profits.
- FX Empire
Some Asian Countries on Brink of Recession as Virus Spreads Outside China
Japan and Singapore are on the brink of recession and South Korea on Friday said its exports to China slumped in the first 20 days of February as the outbreak upends global supply chains.
- Associated Press
Outbreak, economic ills dim luster of Japan's Olympic year
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should be basking in the limelight this year in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Instead, the virus outbreak that has spread from China to even remote parts of Japan has Abe and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party playing defense. Abe has skated through numerous scandals since taking office in late 2012, promising to “Make Japan Great Again." A relatively strong economy, robust share prices and the absence of strong political rivals have enabled him to hang on as the country's longest-serving prime minister, with a solid majority coalition.
- AFP
Tokyo stocks close lower as traders eye virus impact
Tokyo stocks closed lower Friday as investors took to the sidelines ahead of a long weekend while assessing the impact of the new coronavirus outbreak on the world's third-largest economy. "Worries over the new coronavirus are weighing on the market" even though a cheaper yen is offering some support, Resona Bank said. The dollar fetched 111.94 yen against the dollar in late Tokyo trading, against 112.08 yen in New York and 111.41 in Tokyo on Thursday.
- Reuters
Japan to limit foreign ownership in 12 sectors - sources
Japan is finalising a plan that will tighten scrutiny of foreign investment in 12 key sectors, four government sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The industries would include sectors like defence, nuclear power, aerospace, utilities, gas, cyber security and telecommunications, two of the sources said, confirming a report by the Nikkei newspaper. Under the plan, foreign investors purchasing a stake of 1% or more in certain Japanese companies will be subject to pre-screening, as against 10% now.
- Associated Press
World markets slip on renewed fears over virus outbreak
Global stock markets slipped on Friday after a spike in new virus cases in South Korea and other countries refueled investor anxiety about China's disease outbreak. Benchmarks in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney closed down and London, Frankfurt and other European indexes were trading lower. Bond markets are “sounding a warning on global growth” as virus fears spread to South Korea, Singapore and other economies, DBS analysts said in a report.
- AFP
Tokyo shares close higher on cheap yen, US rallies
Tokyo stocks closed higher for a second straight day on Thursday helped by a cheaper yen and rallies on Wall Street as traders cheered a drop in new coronavirus cases in China. "The external environment is favourable as global stocks rallied and the yen is rapidly depreciating against the dollar," Okasan Online Securities said. "The cheaper yen can be interpreted as 'selling Japan' so it may not be good news for us to celebrate, but certainly it is supporting" the market, the analysts said.
- Associated Press
Global stocks mostly slip as virus weighs on companies
Global shares mostly dipped Thursday as several companies estimated that the outbreak of the new coronavirus in China will weigh on their earnings. Britain's FTSE 100 was flat at 7,458. Companies including the world's biggest shipper, A.P. Moller Maersk, and Air France detailed the costs of the virus.
- AFP
Tokyo stocks close higher on bargain hunting
Tokyo stocks closed higher Wednesday on bargain hunting following recent declines as investors adjusted their positions amid lingering fears over the impact of the new coronavirus on the economy. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.9 percent, or 206.90 points, to 23,400.70 after four days of declines, while the broader Topix index was up 0.4 percent, or 6.15 points, at 1,671.86.
- AFP
Tokyo stocks open higher after four days of falls
Tokyo stocks opened higher on Wednesday as investors adjusted their positions amid lingering fears over the impact of the new coronavirus on the economy. The dollar fetched 109.91 yen in early Asian trade, against 109.87 yen in New York. "Japanese shares are expected to rebound... but movement will be weak," Okasan Online Securities said in a commentary.
- Reuters
Stocks scale fresh peaks on slowing virus, dollar gains
The dollar gained while several U.S. and European equity indexes scaled fresh peaks on Wednesday after China reported another decline in new coronavirus cases and on expectations of Chinese stimulus to counter a slowdown in growth. China is widely expected to cut its benchmark lending rate on Thursday, according to a survey of traders and analysts, after the country's central bank lowered the interest rate on medium-term loans earlier this week. The death toll from the coronavirus climbed above 2,000, but the number of newly reported cases fell for a second day to the lowest since January.
- AFP
Tokyo stocks open higher
Tokyo stocks opened higher on Wednesday as investors adjusted their positions amid lingering fears over the impact of the new coronavirus on the economy. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 0.65 percent ...
- FX Empire
Asia Pacific Shares Tumble on Apple Guidance Reduction, HSBC Pre-Tax Profit Miss
Apple Inc. said it will not meet its revenue guidance for the March quarter as the coronavirus outbreak slowed production and weakened demand in China. Europe’s largest bank, HSBC, reported a 33% fall in 2019 pre-tax profit to $13.35 billion after it took a goodwill impairment of $7.3 billion.
- Associated Press
Shares fall in Asia as virus outbreak hits profits, events
Shares slipped in Asia on Tuesday as the impact from the virus outbreak that began in China deepened, with Apple saying it would fail to meet its profit target and China moving to postpone or cancel major events including the Beijing auto show. Signs suggest China may postpone its annual congress, its biggest political meeting of the year.
- AFP
Tokyo's Nikkei down for fourth straight session on virus fears
Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index closed down for a fourth consecutive session on Tuesday with investors eyeing the impact of the new virus outbreak on major global companies. The Nikkei 225 index dropped 1.40 percent, or 329.44 points, to 23,193.80 in thin trade because of a market holiday in the US. There has been a slowdown in new infections in China in recent days but traders are still fretting over the global economic impact of the health crisis.
- AFP
Tokyo stocks open lower on coronavirus fears
Tokyo stocks opened lower Tuesday as investors assessed the economic impact of the new virus outbreak from China in thin trade because of a market holiday in the US. There has been a slowdown in new infections in China in recent days but traders are fretting over the global economic impact of the health crisis. "The market is likely to be weighed down due to uncertainty over how much the new pneumonia will spread and its impact on corporate earnings and the economy," Okasan Online Securities said.
- FX Empire
Asian Markets: China Shares Rise on Fresh Stimulus Measures; Japan Bracing for Recession
The Shanghai Index rose after China’s central bank cut the interest rate on its medium-term lending on Monday. The Nikkei 225 Index stumbled after official data showed the economy shrank in October-November at the fastest pace since the second quarter of 2014.
- AFP
Tokyo stocks close lower as virus worries linger
Tokyo stocks closed lower Monday on worries over the spread of the new coronavirus in the country and the economy's worst quarterly contraction in more than five years. "US shares on Friday were mixed while the number of people infected with the new virus increased and the latest quarterly GDP was lower than expected," Okasan Online Securities said in a commentary. Compared with the US, "Japan is closer geographically and economically to China, and that's causing concerns about the negative impact of the new virus on the economy and corporate performance," said Masayuki Kubota, chief strategist at Rakuten Securities.
- Associated Press
Shares take hit as virus outbreak slams profits, events
Stock markets slipped Tuesday as the impact from the virus outbreak that began in China deepened, with Apple saying it would fail to meet its profit target this quarter and China moving to postpone or cancel major events, including the Beijing auto show. As the outbreak persists, bringing new travel advisories and disrupting trade, travel and supply chains, it is casting a widening shadow over the regional economy. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that the coronavirus crisis has put the country’s economy in an “emergency situation” and called for aggressive efforts to support companies dependent on trade with China and prompt up consumption.
- Reuters
Chinese support measures buoy world stocks
Global shares were buoyant on Monday as the promise of further policy stimulus from China to counteract the economic hit from a coronavirus outbreak calmed nervous investors. In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan advanced 0.14% to near last week's peak of 558.30, its highest since late January. The gains were led by China, whose blue-chip index climbed 2.25% after the country's central bank lowered a key interest rate and injected more liquidity into the system.
- AFP
Tokyo stocks open lower as virus worries linger
Tokyo stocks opened lower on Monday due to worries over the spread of the new coronavirus in the country and the economy's worst quarterly contraction in more than five years. "Japanese markets are seen subdued in early trade as worries linger over the spread of the new coronavirus," Toshiyuki Kanayama, senior market analyst at Monex, said in a commentary. The mixed close in the US market on Friday is not helping to boost Japan, he noted.
- Associated Press
US stocks post small gains, major indexes up for the week
Wall Street closed out a wobbly day of trading Friday with the major stock indexes notching their second straight weekly gain. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq eked out tiny gains, good enough to nudge each to an all-time high for the fourth time this week. Gains in the technology, real estate and utilities sectors outweighed losses in energy and industrial stocks, and in consumer-centric companies.
