Asian shares edged up on Thursday as a surge in the volatile Shanghai market helped underpin indexes around the region, offsetting a rocky start to the month on worries the global economic recovery is losing steam.
Japan's Nikkei stock average slid 2.5 percent on Wednesday, dragged down by exporters hit by a stronger yen amid renewed worry about the health of the U.S. financial system.
World stocks fell close to 1 percent on Wednesday after an overnight sell off on Wall Street, with both Asia and Europe rattled by concerns over the sustainability of this year's equity rally.
Asian shares pulled back on Wednesday after revived worries about the health of U.S. banks slammed Wall Street, even as upbeat Australian growth figures reassured investors on the economic recovery's staying power.
Chinese shares bucked up on Tuesday after Monday's rout, helped by upbeat economic data, but the Aussie dollar fell after the central bank dashed expectations it would shift to a tighter policy bias.
Chinese stocks sank 6 percent to a three-month low on Monday, weighing on Asian shares, sapping investor willingness to take risks and giving the yen an added boost after Japanese voters swept the opposition into power.
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Monday for the last session of the month, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.78 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.77 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.87 percent at 0825 GMT (4:25 a.m. EDT).
Japan's next leader, Yukio Hatoyama, began talks on Monday on forming a government to tackle challenges such as record unemployment and a fast-aging society after voters gave his party a sweeping mandate for change.
A historic election win for Japan's opposition Democratic Party on Sunday is likely to buoy Tokyo shares on hopes for less policy deadlock, putting pressure on Japanese government bonds and the yen.
World stocks fell for a second consecutive day on Thursday and the yen extended broad gains, with equity investors avoiding risky assets and preferring to take profits from a rally to 10-month highs this week.
Asian shares mostly eased on Thursday and the yen rose after a flat day on Wall Street following encouraging home sales and durable goods data left investors cautious about chasing shares higher.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Japan's biggest heavy-machinery maker, on Wednesday said it plans to start mass-production of industrial-use lithium-ion batteries in late 2012.
Japan's NEC Electronics Corp and Renesas Technology may receive a $2.1 billion bailout from their parent companies to bring about the merger of the two loss-making chipmakers in a sector wracked by weak demand and prices, the Nikkei business daily said.
Toyota Motor Corp , the world's largest automaker, said it would halt a production line in Japan as it looks to cut excess capacity to return to profitability amid an industrywide sales slump.
Asian stocks edged higher on Wednesday, with thin summer trading volumes keeping prices choppy and centered on short-term chart targets, while oil hovered near $72 a barrel, capped by a surprising rise in U.S. inventories.
Toyota Motor Corp will cut its global production capacity to match lower sales, a company source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday, with potential annual cuts of at least 700,000 vehicles identified.
Toyota Motor Corp , the world's biggest automaker, will cut its global production capacity by 10 percent, or 1 million vehicles, the Nikkei business daily reported.
Stock index futures indicated a stronger start on Wall Street on Monday, extending the previous session's gains after stronger U.S. housing data and optimistic comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke lifted sentiment.
U.S. stock index futures indicated a stronger start on Wall Street on Monday, extending the previous session's gains after stronger U.S. housing data and optimistic comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke lifted sentiment.
U.S. stock index futures indicated a stronger start on Wall Street Monday, extending the previous session's gains after stronger U.S. housing data and optimistic comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke lifted sentiment.
Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.12 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.39 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.42 percent at 0730 GMT.
Japan's Nikkei stock average slipped on Friday as automakers slumped ahead of the end of the U.S. cash for clunkers program and prompted investors to sell broadly ahead of the start of Chinese stock trading.
