JAPAN

Asian shares on Monday slipped back toward a three-month low hit last week, with emerging Asian equities seen likely to keep lagging developed markets as investors fret about risks from inflation.

Japanese factory output rose in January for a third straight month and manufacturers expect further gains in coming months, a sign that the economy is on track for a moderate export-driven recovery.

Mizuho Financial Group is planning to buy out its brokerage and trust bank units, a source familiar with the matter said on Saturday, in a roughly $4 billion deal aimed at helping the lender grow beyond sluggish commercial banking business in Japan.

Mizuho Financial Group is planning to buy out its brokerage and trust bank units, a source familiar with the matter said on Saturday, a deal that could be worth around $4 billion as the lender tries to grow beyond sluggish commercial banking business in Japan.

The French fashion house synonymous with Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast At Tiffany's is eyeing Asia as its next big growth market, spurred by the rapidly rising incomes of the region's nouveau riche.

Game fans hit Japanese stores early on Saturday to be among the first to get their hands on Nintendo's new 3D-capable game player, but the gadget's sales may be squeezed in the longer term by competition from smartphones and tablets.

Violent aftershocks hampered desperate efforts to find survivors in the quake-ruined New Zealand city of Christchurch on Saturday as the death toll climbed to 123 and was set to rise further.

For most of the last three millennia, the world's commercial centers have used one or another variant of a gold standard. It should be one of the best understood of human institutions, but it's not. It's one of the worst understood, by both its advocates and detractors. Though it has been spurned by governments many times, this has never been due to a fault of gold to serve its duty, but because governments had other plans for their currencies beyond maintaining their stability. And so,...

Gold and Silver Prices failed to hold onto a sharp overnight bounce in London trade on Friday, trading below $1404 and $33 respectively per ounce as volatility in crude oil remained at record levels but world stock markets rose for the first day in six.

China's government investors more than doubled their investments in major Japanese blue-chip companies in 2010, the Wall Street Journal said, citing investment advisory firms and people familiar with the matter.

Japan aims to cut rare earth consumption by a third within a few years and reduce its reliance on China, by providing subsidies for recycling and investing in new ways to limit their use.

The Japanese government and private companies will spend $1.34 billion to curb Japan's dependence on rare-earth imports from China by a third, the Nikkei news report said Friday.

Oil hovered above $112 a barrel on Friday and Asian stocks broke a four-day losing streak as concerns eased that a recent surge in energy prices would hurt demand for riskier assets and threaten broader economic growth.

Oil stabilized on Friday after a sharp reversal from a 2-1/2 year peak overnight, calming concerns that a surge in prices would hurt economic recovery.

Hong Kong stocks may receive respite from good corporate results on Friday, but will remain under pressure and will likely trade in a narrow range, weighed down by concerns about volatile oil prices and ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.

NTT DoCoMo has launched the world’s thinnest smartphone, the NEC Medias N-04C in Japan.

Bailed-out insurer American International Group Inc earned $11.2 billion in the fourth quarter on asset sales, but charges to expand its reserves for old asbestos claims pushed its underlying operations into another loss.

International rescuers engaged in a wide-ranging search for earthquake survivors, just days after a strong 6.3 magnitude shock struck New Zealand's second largest city.

Motorola Xoom is making its debut today at Verizon Wireless stores. Many analysts hail the tablet to be first real competitor against Apple iPad. But iPad 2 unveiling which is expected to take place on March 2 can spoil Motorola Xoom dream debut if the analyst predictions come true.

Taiwan and China will hold another round of talks in late March on a plan to allow individual travellers from China to visit Taiwan, a move that many see as a huge lift for Taiwan's economy.

Biogen Idec stock price can appreciate to the mid $70s based on five areas of potential upside, according to RBC Capital Markets. The brokerage upgraded its rating on shares of the biotechnology company to outperform from sector perform and increased its price target to $75 from $60.