Japan's Panasonic Corp reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss and sharply lifted its half-year outlook as it cuts costs to cope with a firmer yen and weak TV sales, but stuck to its outlook for a second annual net loss.
World stocks climbed to a new 2009 high on Monday with banking news from Europe generally positive and signs of a pick up in Chinese economic activity lifting Asian shares.
Japan's Panasonic Corp reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss as it cut costs to fight a firmer yen and weak TV and digital camera demand, and it stood by its annual outlook for its net loss to shrink by half.
Asian stocks crawled up to an 11-month high on Monday as Chinese shares cheered more signs of economic activity picking up speed, giving a boost to oil and copper prices while hurting the safe-haven U.S. dollar.
Japan's Panasonic Corp reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss as it cut costs to fight a firmer yen and weak TV and digital camera demand, and it stood by its annual outlook for its net loss to shrink by half.
Asian stocks inched up to an 11-month high on Monday on mounting evidence that the global economic recovery is picking up speed, giving a boost to oil and copper prices while hurting the safe-haven U.S. dollar.
Japan's Nikkei average inched down 0.1 percent on Monday, with investors cautious ahead of more corporate earnings reports, but banks rose after Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group posted its first profit in three quarters.
Japan's main ruling party, facing possible defeat in elections next month, tried to upstage the opposition on Friday with its own policy pledges to boost household income and revive the struggling economy.
World stocks rallied to fresh 9-1/2 month peaks on Friday as favorable corporate earnings fueled recovery hopes, while European government bonds also rose as investors grew cautious ahead of key U.S. growth data.
Asian stocks pushed higher on Friday and were poised to score double-digit gains in July as investors keep pouring funds on bets the region's growth engine will lead the global economy out of recession.
Oil extended gains well above $67 a barrel on Friday, after a 5.7 percent jump in the previous session on U.S. data and earnings which renewed hopes of an economic recovery and drove up equity and commodities markets.
Asian stocks pushed higher on Friday and were poised to score double-digit gains in July as investors keep pouring funds on bets the region's growth engine will lead the global economy out of recession.
China seized its first-ever men's gold for swimming in World Championships on Wednesday, with Zhang Lin improving Grant Hackett's four-year-old 800 meters freestyle world record by more than six seconds.
One hundred ninety-seven years, one month and 14 days after its founding, Citigroup Inc has given a roughly 34 percent stake to U.S. taxpayers.
Citigroup will sell its Japanese asset management arm to Sumitomo Trust Banking in a $1.2 billion deal, the U.S. bank's latest asset sale to recoup losses from the financial crisis.
Top Japanese model Yuri Ebihara has made her mark in Asia but now she wants to take her place on the global catwalk alongside the world's supermodels.
Automakers in Europe and Japan unveiled weak results for the first half of the year on Thursday and are set to keep tight control over costs but most predict an improvement in conditions for the rest of 2009.
Leading investors have taken their holdings of stocks back up to levels last seen just before the collapse of Lehman Brothers, a series of Reuters polls showed on Thursday.
Automakers in Europe and Japan unveiled weak results for the first half of the year on Thursday and are set to keep tight control over costs but most predict an improvement in conditions for rest of 2009.
French carmaker Renault on Thursday posted a worse-than-expected loss on for the first half in line with results at its European rivals as auto sales fell sharply but it said the outlook is stabilizing.
Chinese stocks see-sawed in skittish trade on Thursday, as the central bank reaffirmed loose monetary policy, while other Asian markets regained enough poise after the previous day's shakeout to edge back to 2009 highs.
Asian share markets were largely steady on Thursday, struggling to regain multi-month highs, while Shanghai shares see-sawed after a 5 percent sell-off the previous day that sent other markets reeling.
