Asian stock markets mostly rose on Monday as financial shares extended gains on hopes of further U.S. interest rate cuts, but some technology stocks eased after Dell Inc's disappointing outlook.
European stocks opened at a two-week high on Friday while the yen slipped, as expectations grew of U.S. interest rate cuts that could stem the slowdown in the world's largest economy.
Global stocks rallied on Thursday after strong Wall Street gains in the previous session, as the prospect of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts boosted faith in the U.S. economy and encouraged investors to take on risk again.
Softbank Corp, Japan's smallest cellphone operator, aims to raise the number of its third-generation base stations to more than 50,000 next year, President Masayoshi Son told a group of reporters on Monday.
A group of investors led by U.S. buyout firm J.C. Flowers & Co LLC will bid about $1.8 billion for up to 32.6 percent of Shinsei Bank Ltd, putting more money into the Japanese bank it helped resurrect in one of the most lucrative private equity deals ever.
Asian stocks made a cautious advance on Monday following a recovery on Wall Street, with gains for oil prices shoring up demand for energy shares.
Fears that the credit crisis could deepen rattled global stock investors on Friday and boosted demand for traditionally less risky assets.
U.S. firm American International Group will list an office REIT in Japan this year, the Nikkei business daily said on Thursday, a move analysts welcomed while questioning its timing amid the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis.
Japanese electronics group NEC Corp posted a smaller first-half loss on Wednesday as sales of its IT systems outweighed scaled-back overseas operations, and it stuck to its full-year forecast.
Asian stocks sank on Monday with Tokyo's Nikkei hitting its lowest level in about 15 months as investors dumped Japanese exporters on the back of a surge in the yen to an 18-month high versus the dollar.
Japanese stocks ended at a nearly three-month closing low on Friday after a wave of late selling on a report that Mizuho Securities, the unlisted brokerage arm of Mizuho Financial Group, may post a subprime-related loss of over 100 billion yen and delay a merger.
HONG KONG, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Oil soared above $98 a barrel for the first time on Wednesday and gold rose to a 28-year high as investors sought shelter from the falling dollar, which plumbed all-time lows.
Asian markets were volatile on Tuesday with indexes shifting between gains and losses after a turbulent Monday.
Asian stocks eased on Monday with financial shares extending their slide as persistent credit worries offset a positive U.S. employment report, which showed twice as many jobs as expected were added last month.
Asian markets fell sharply Friday, hurt by a sell-off on Wall Street.
The dollar touched an all-time low against the euro on Wednesday, while Asian stock markets marked time as many investors sat on the sidelines ahead of a widely expected interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Asian stock markets were subdued on Wednesday while the dollar wallowed near a record low against the euro with investors reluctant to take big positions ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc, Japan's largest bank, said it would write down the value of subprime-related investments by as much as 30 billion yen ($260 million) -- six times more than previously announced.
Asian stocks and oil prices retreated from their peaks on Tuesday and the dollar halted its slide as investors held their fire ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting, where an interest rate cut is widely expected. European stocks also looked set for a weaker start,
Nikko Cordial, the Japanese brokerage unit of Citigroup, said its quarterly profit rose 72 percent from a year earlier, as growth at its asset management division overshadowed a loss at its investment banking arm.
Mitsubishi Electric Corp on Monday posted a better-than-expected 38 percent rise in first-half operating profit, helped by strong sales of power systems and elevators to emerging nations, and it raised its full-year outlook by 17 percent.
Asian stocks rose to a fresh life high on Monday as investors bet there will be a U.S. interest rate cut this week, which sent the dollar to a record low against the euro and a basket of major currencies.
