Japan's services PMI hits 19-month high in March

TOKYO -- The Nikkei Japan Services Purchasing Managers' Index, or PMI, edged up to a 19-month high of 52.9 in March from February's 51.3. A reading above 50 indicates economic expansion, while one below 50 points toward a contraction. In March, the growth ... ( read original story ...)

Nikkei drops to 4-month low as Asian markets pull back

That means there is “no short term catalyst for U.S. equity to go up,” said Kyoya Okazawa, head of global markets for BNP Paribas in Japan, and less support for equities elsewhere. The Nikkei Stock Average NIK, -1.40% hit a four-month low Thursday ... ( read original story ...)

China comes roaring back in the global IPO market

Japan, the runner-up in Asia's IPO race for the quarter, hosted two of the five largest flotations in the region: a $611 million share issue by Sushiro Global Holdings, an Osaka-based conveyor-belt sushi chain backed by European private equity firm Permira ... ( read original story ...)

Nikkei rises as yen takes breather; financials fall

TOKYO, April 5 Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Wednesday morning after the yen rally paused, but financial stocks slipped on falling U.S. yields, while North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile hurt the overall market sentiment. Investors kept to ... ( read original story ...)

Obstacles litter Tokyo's path to becoming a global financial hub

TOKYO -- Deeply ingrained industry practices that turn off foreign asset managers could hamper the Japanese capital's transformation into an international financial hub as envisioned by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been ... ( read original story ...)

Japan manufacturing PMI down to 52.4 in March

TOKYO -- The Nikkei Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, or PMI, dropped to 52.4 in March from 53.3 in February. A reading above 50 signals an improvement, while one below 50 points to a contraction in activity. March's PMI recorded the above-50 ... ( read original story ...)

Japan business outlook brightens, though improvement modest

TOKYO — Encouraged by stronger export orders, Japanese manufacturers are feeling a bit more upbeat than they were late last year, according to a quarterly survey by the Bank of Japan released Monday. The central bank's "tankan" report put sentiment among ... ( read original story ...)

Japan to urge businesses to share big data

TOKYO -- Japan will encourage companies to share big data they collect, so that businesses can better cooperate on developing new products and services in the age of the "internet of things" instead of keeping all the information to themselves. An advisory ... ( read original story ...)

Japan wades into crowdfunding world

TOKYO -- Fintech is changing the way companies around the world finance operations and make investments. In Japan, a growing number are turning to the web to raise capital needed for developing new products and services, with crowdfunding in particular ... ( read original story ...)