Strong dollar lifts Japan shares, crimps commodities

The strength of the U.S. currency pressured commodity prices and helped drag oil off an 18-month top, but gave Japan's exporter-heavy stock market a fillip. The Nikkei climbed 2.1 percent, recovering from two sessions of losses as domestic data ... ( read original story ...)

Japan Takes On Its Workaholics

Noah Smith is a Bloomberg View columnist. He was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and he blogs at Noahpinion. The same problems come up again and again in discussions of what Japan needs to do to revive its economy. The first is ... ( read original story ...)

Japan fund faces big downside trades

The WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund, which tracks the Nikkei index while adjusting for fluctuations in the yen, has been falling since hitting a 52-week high of $51.82 on Dec. 15. Our monitoring program found three strikes with large bearish trades in ... ( read original story ...)

Japan to stay vigilant on forex risks: chief cabinet secretary

One crucial area in which I am charged to manage risks involves foreign exchange. I am making the Finance Ministry, the Financial Services Agency and the Bank of Japan have joint meetings. About forex, many say we had to do nothing [to produce the weaker ... ( read original story ...)

Silicon Valley's obscure unicorns could boost 2017 IPO market

Social media firm Snap Inc may be the highest profile tech IPO planned for 2017, with the potential to raise billions. But more than a dozen expected stock offerings of relatively obscure software firms targeting business customers - little-known names ... ( read original story ...)

Toshiba shares fall on media report of profit padding

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba shares fell more than five percent on Wednesday after media reported that Japan's security watchdog suspects it of padding profits by 40 billion yen ($339.59 million) over three years. Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported on Tuesday ... ( read original story ...)

Tokyo shares start 2017 on higher note

Tokyo shares opened higher Wednesday on the first trading day of 2017, following rises seen overnight on Wall Street driven by optimism about the US economy. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 0.96 percent or 184.31 points to ... ( read original story ...)

Dollar strength lifts Japan shares, crimps commodities

The strength of the U.S. currency pressured commodity prices and helped knock oil off an 18-month top, but gave Japan's exporter-heavy stock market a fillip. The Nikkei climbed 1.2 percent in early trade, recovering from two sessions of losses. ( read original story ...)

Small Japanese banks offered lending lifeline

The Japanese export credit agency, the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC), has kick-started a programme that will help smaller banks finance power projects overseas. Through the scheme, JBIC will place loans (the volume or value of which are ... ( read original story ...)

Japan in talks with New Zealand for defense aircraft

TOKYO -- Japan is in negotiations with New Zealand to export the Self-Defense Forces' patrol and transport aircraft, in hopes of beating out U.S. and European competition to score its first large-scale arms contract. The deal will also involve the ... ( read original story ...)

Japan automakers' tie-up synergies to take shape in 2017

TOKYO -- The Japanese auto industry saw extensive realignment in 2016 as carmakers joined hands to sharpen their edge in a global race demanding the adoption of myriad new technologies. How these partnerships fare will be a focal point in the new year. ( read original story ...)