Tokyo - Tokyo stocks fell in early trading on Wednesday on profit-taking, breaking a two-day climb.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average dipped by 0.73 per cent, or 61.58 points to 8,426.72 by mid-trading, reversing earlier gains.
The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was almost flat, dropping 0.27 points, or 0.03 per cent, to 812.45.
Traders also reacted to reports that Japan's overseas exports dropped by 49.4 per cent in February year-on-year, with consumer electronics titles contributing most to the slump.
New York - US stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, one day after posting their biggest gains of the year, as the US administration sought new powers to control failing financial firms.
Banking shares, which gained some 18 per cent on Monday, led the market decline amid speculation that Congress will no longer back more money for struggling Wall Street institutions.
Manila - Philippine share prices rose 2.05 per cent for the second straight day Tuesday on hopes that a US plan to rid banks of toxic assets would put financial markets on the road to recovery.
The Philippine Stock Exchange's 30-share composite index gained 38.60 points to close at 1,917.69, from Monday's finish of 1,879.09.
A total of 2.633 billion shares worth 3.636 billion pesos (75 million dollars) were traded.
Gainers swamped losers 76 to 16, while 47 issues were unchanged.
Tokyo - Tokyo stocks on Tuesday continued their upwards trend from the beginning of the week, pushed up by plans of the US Treasury to remove toxic assets from banks.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average climbed by 2.07 per cent, or 170.35 points to 8,385.88 by mid-trading.
The broader Topix index of all first-section issues added 14.74 points, or 1.86 per cent, to 806.3.
On currency markets at midday (0000 GMT), the dollar was stronger at 97.10-15 yen, after trading at 95.97-96.00 yen late Monday in New York.
New York - US stocks staged the biggest rally since November after the US government unveiled the details of a long-awaited plan to take toxic mortgage assets off the balance sheets of US banks.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner put forward a 1-trillion- dollar public-private partnership that the administration hopes will go a long way to stabilize the crumbling US financial system.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its fifth-largest points gain in history, and US financial firms gained 18 per cent on the announcement.
Tokyo - Tokyo stocks fell in early trading on Wednesday on profit-taking, breaking a two-day climb.
New York - US stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, one day after posting their biggest gains of the year, as the US administration sought new powers to control failing financial firms.
Sydney - Australian
Manila - Philippine share prices rose 2.05 per cent for the second straight day Tuesday on hopes that a US plan to rid banks of toxic assets would put financial markets on the road to recovery.
Tokyo - Tokyo stocks on Tuesday continued their upwards trend from the beginning of the week, pushed up by plans of the US Treasury to remove toxic assets from banks.
New York - US stocks staged the biggest rally since November after the US government unveiled the details of a long-awaited plan to take toxic mortgage assets off the balance sheets of US banks.
