NIKKEI 225

The Nikkei average sagged 0.47 percent on Friday as a government downgrade of its view on private consumption and exports spurred selling, but Advantest Corp. and other chip stocks rose, curbing market losses.

The Nikkei share average edged up 0.20 percent on Wednesday as Advantest Corp. and other chip stocks rose but consumer loan companies such as Credit Saison Co. fell on a report of tighter accounting rules.

Japan's Canon Inc. said on Tuesday it would recall more than 140,000 personal copiers because they could produce smoke or catch fire, costing the office equipment maker about 200 million yen ($1.7 million).

The Nikkei average hit a one-month closing low on Tuesday, declining 0.48 percent as a fall in commodity prices stoked worries about global demand and hit stocks sensitive to the economic cycle such as steel makers.

Sony Corp. (6758.T) shares fell as much as 2.6 percent on Thursday, hit by another delay in the launch of its PlayStation 3 game console, but outperformed sector peers and the broader market by the end of the day as investors weigh the likely impact of the delay.

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Shares of Sony Corp. fell as much as 3 percent to a one-month low on Friday after Apple Computer Inc. said it would recall 1.8 million PC batteries, the second major recall involving Sony-made battery cells in 10 days.

The Nikkei average rose 1.42 percent on Tuesday to end above 15,000 for the first time in more than a week as Tokyo Electron Ltd. and Toshiba Corp. climbed after strong quarterly results from U.S. chip firms boosted expectations of higher earnings at home.

The Nikkei jumped 2.54 percent to finish at its highest close since June 5 on Friday as exporters such as Toyota Motor gained on rising hopes that the U.S. interest rate-hike cycle may be nearing an end, easing concern of a slowdown in the world's largest economy.

Financial markets stalled on Wednesday as uncertainty about when the Federal Reserve will end its monetary tightening campaign kept investors sidelined, while crude oil rose above $72 a barrel on worries about U.S. gasoline supplies.

The Nikkei fell 1.74 percent on Wednesday as tyre maker Bridgestone Corp. a day earlier cut its profit forecast citing higher raw material costs, pulling down its own shares and those of rivals and chemical makers.

Asian markets rallied for a second day Friday, recovering from a plunge Tuesday that sent stocks in the region to their lowest levels in months.

The month-long slide in global stocks has wiped out at least $2 trillion in wealth, leaving investors few alternatives to preserve their holdings aside from bonds and money markets.

The Nikkei average fell 1.29 percent on Friday as shares of Sony Corp. tumbled after it forecast a sharp profit decline in the current year and as a stronger yen raised concern of a drop in earnings at exporters such as Kyocera Corp.

The Nikkei rose 0.68 percent on Wednesday as Canon Inc. (7751.T) and other exporters climbed after U.S. stocks posted their biggest gains in a year on expectations the U.S. interest rate-hike cycle may be near an end.