TOKYO, March 17 (Reuters) - The benchmark Nikkei average and the broader TOPIX both rose about 0.7 percent on Wednesday.
The following stocks were on the move:
**HONDA MOTOR SLIPS AFTER RECALL OF VEHICLES IN US**
Shares of Honda Motor Co fell 0.5 percent to 3,230 yen after the automaker said it will recall about 412,000 vehicles in the United States to address the risk that brake pedals may feel soft and slip closer to the floor over time.
The recall covers about 344,000 Odyssey minivans and 68,000 Element SUVs for the 2007 and 2008 model years and follows customer complaints over the issue, Honda said in a statement.
The stock underperformed shares in other automakers. Toyota Motor Corp rose 0.9 percent to 3,580 yen and Nissan Motor Co gained 2.3 percent to 772 yen.
0034 GMT
**APLUS CO SOARS; SHINSEI BANK SET TO RAISE STAKE**
Shares of Aplus Co surged 16.1 percent to 108 yen after Shinsei Bank said it would raise its stake in the consumer finance firm to over 90 percent through the conversion of its holdings of Aplus preferred shares as it looks to revamp the group's consumer finance business.
Shinsei said it could fully own Aplus if the consumer finance company goes ahead with its plan to buy back 30 million of its common shares and its remaining preferred shares as announced on Feb. 26.
Shinsei shares were unchanged at 106 yen.
0017 GMT
**ELPIDA GAINS AFTER MEDIA REPORT OF UPBEAT EARNINGS**
Shares of Elpida Memory, the No.1 Japanese maker of DRAM chips, climbed 1.6 percent to 1,776 yen.
The company is expected to return to the black with an operating profit of almost 20 billion yen ($222 million) for the year ending this month, buoyed by a recovery in DRAM chip prices, the Nikkei business daily said.
That would beat a forecast of an operating profit of 16.5 billion yen from 19 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
0005 GMT
(Reporting by Aiko Hayashi)
((aiko.hayashi@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: aiko.hayashi.reuters.com@reuters.net; +81 3 6441 1802))
((If you have a query or comment on this story send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com))
Keywords: MARKETS JAPAN STOCKS HOT (Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com * BridgeStation: view story .134 * Reuters Plus: from your WebDSS screen For more information on Top News, visit http://topnews.reuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
The following stocks were on the move:
**HONDA MOTOR SLIPS AFTER RECALL OF VEHICLES IN US**
Shares of Honda Motor Co fell 0.5 percent to 3,230 yen after the automaker said it will recall about 412,000 vehicles in the United States to address the risk that brake pedals may feel soft and slip closer to the floor over time.
The recall covers about 344,000 Odyssey minivans and 68,000 Element SUVs for the 2007 and 2008 model years and follows customer complaints over the issue, Honda said in a statement.
The stock underperformed shares in other automakers. Toyota Motor Corp rose 0.9 percent to 3,580 yen and Nissan Motor Co gained 2.3 percent to 772 yen.
0034 GMT
**APLUS CO SOARS; SHINSEI BANK SET TO RAISE STAKE**
Shares of Aplus Co surged 16.1 percent to 108 yen after Shinsei Bank said it would raise its stake in the consumer finance firm to over 90 percent through the conversion of its holdings of Aplus preferred shares as it looks to revamp the group's consumer finance business.
Shinsei said it could fully own Aplus if the consumer finance company goes ahead with its plan to buy back 30 million of its common shares and its remaining preferred shares as announced on Feb. 26.
Shinsei shares were unchanged at 106 yen.
0017 GMT
**ELPIDA GAINS AFTER MEDIA REPORT OF UPBEAT EARNINGS**
Shares of Elpida Memory, the No.1 Japanese maker of DRAM chips, climbed 1.6 percent to 1,776 yen.
The company is expected to return to the black with an operating profit of almost 20 billion yen ($222 million) for the year ending this month, buoyed by a recovery in DRAM chip prices, the Nikkei business daily said.
That would beat a forecast of an operating profit of 16.5 billion yen from 19 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
0005 GMT
(Reporting by Aiko Hayashi)
((aiko.hayashi@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: aiko.hayashi.reuters.com@reuters.net; +81 3 6441 1802))
((If you have a query or comment on this story send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com))
Keywords: MARKETS JAPAN STOCKS HOT (Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com * BridgeStation: view story .134 * Reuters Plus: from your WebDSS screen For more information on Top News, visit http://topnews.reuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
