NIKKEI 225

Ballots continue to be counted in France and Greece -- where the architects of the austerity solution to Europe's sovereign-debt problem have been advised to turn over their drafting supplies -- but investors are still voting, with their feet, as they appear to be moving out of higher-risk asset classes into lower-risk ones.

Japanese stock markets plunged Tuesday as weaker-than-expected US manufacturing data and news that confirmed Spain has fallen into a double-dip recession weighed on the sentiment.

The risk-on sentiment ginned up by the kindness of western central banks plus the first quarter's good weather, which pulled forward consumer spending and construction activity, is fading.

Japan's Sony Corp is cutting 10,000 jobs, about 6 percent of its global workforce, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday, as new CEO Kazuo Hirai looks to steer the electronics and entertainment giant back to profit after four years in the red.

Asian stock markets declined Wednesday after details from the Federal Reserve's most recent policy meeting suggest that the central bank was backing away from further monetary easing.

Stocks and other risky assets rallied Friday, rounding out the quarter with even more price gains on a day that encapsulated the main developments of the year so far: encouraging news out of Europe, better-than-expected consumer sentiment in the United States, and the perceived and steady pull of inflation.

Most of the Asian stock markets ended lower Friday as weaker-than-expected U.S. jobless claims and industrial production data in Japan hurt investors sentiment.

Positive jobs data from the U.S. and Germany were not enough to keep investors bullish Thursday, as a moderate asset sell-off continued, with traders apparently squaring up their positions in anticipation of earnings season.

Asian shares eased for a second day in a row Thursday, as investors limited their risk exposures on concerns about growth prospects in the world's two largest economies, the United States and China.

Window dressing, the practice of stock fund managers buying up top performers as the quarter ends to boost the appearance of success, failed Tuesday to lift the major indexes into positive territory.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.25 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.29 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.36 percent at 0920 GMT.

Asian stock markets surged Tuesday, following gains in the Wall Street overnight as market-friendly comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke boosted sentiment.

Japan's Hitachi Ltd <6501.T> said on Tuesday that it aimed to cut annual operating costs by 5 percent in four years, enabling the company to invest more in its growing infrastructure and telecommunications businesses.

Asian stock markets ended with modest gains in lackluster trade Monday as concerns over the economic slowdown in China weighed on the sentiment.

Asian shares gave back earlier gains Thursday after data showed China's factory activity shrank for a fifth successive month, underscoring concerns about a growth slowdown in the world's second largest economy.

Asian shares inched up Thursday but remained in ranges as investors waited for manufacturing data from China and the euro zone due during this session for more clues about the state of their economies.

Stocks surged Thursday, with the S&P 500 topping the 1,400 mark for the first time in nearly four years, propelled by firm readings on the jobs market and manufacturing activities.

Japan's Nikkei average breached 10,000 for the third straight session before trimming gains to 0.9 percent Tuesday, lifted by defensive buying as investors looked for signs of further easing from the Bank of Japan.

Asian stock markets ended lower Monday as disappointing Chinese trade data released over the weekend overshadowed stronger than expected US February jobs report.

Asian shares fell Monday as investors paused to assess the effect of strong U.S. jobs data, which scaled back expectations for more easing ahead of this week's Federal Reserve meeting, while concerns over China's slowdown also weighed on sentiment.

Tokyo stocks jumped to a seven-month high Friday as Asian shares rose on signs Greece is a step nearer to averting a default, although momentum may be checked by caution ahead of U.S. data that is expected to confirm a labor market recovery.