WELLINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - Asian stocks are set to
skid lower on Thursday as fears about Japan's nuclear crisis
undermine investor confidence, adding to worries arising from
escalating turmoil in Libya and Bahrain.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan's biggest bourse, staged a strong rebound on Wednesday, gaining nearly 6 percent, but the rally may prove short lived as the uncertainty surrounding nuclear plants saps fragile confidence.
Skittish markets look set to resume their sell off. The iShares MSCI Japan Index exchange traded fund, or EWJ, closed down 3.8 percent. Nikkei futures traded in Chicago closed down 5.06 percent, 470 points below the Osaka close.
Singapore-listed Nikkei futures last traded down nearly 5.1 percent.
Wall Street's main indexes fell around 2 percent on Japan's nuclear crisis. The CBOE market volatility index jumped 21 percent, the biggest percentage gain since Feb. 22, briefly touching the psychologically important 30 level. Wall Street's so-called fear index is up more than 46 percent this week.
Asian stocks listed on Wall Street fell 2.7 percent, while U.S.-listed shares of Japanese companies declined and the index of leading Japanese American Depositary Receipts lost 3.08 percent.
The yen has hit a record high against the dollar amid the nuclear crisis but investors are wary that the Bank of Japan may intervene to check the rise after it was seen checking rates.
British stocks fell 1.7 percent and European dipped 1.4 percent, the sixth consecutive session of losses, on Japan and the downgrading of Portugal's sovereign debt by Moody's.
Australian stocks are seen joining other falling markets. Share price index futures are down 1.7 percent at 4,491, a 67.2 point discount to the close of the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index.
HEADLINES: > Japan scrambles to avert nuclear plant disaster > Yen at record high versus greenback, stocks dive > TSE to keep Japan's trading floors open - report > US inflation pressure bubbles, home building dives > Gaddafi pummels rebels as war outpaces diplomacy > Bahrain crushes protests, draws U.S. criticism > Airlines scramble to assist Japan exodus > On borrowed time: US budget delays start to hurt > Bankers snort, groan as US regulator extols reform > Rising China threatens U.S. clout in Latin America > Japan supply squeeze worries spread to telco gear > Apple clobbered by rare Wall St downgrade > Colombia wins coveted S&P foreign currency rating > Portugal inches closer to sobering EU bailout
- -
KEY INDEXES pct change
Bank of New York Asia ADR index -2.70
Dow Jones Industrial Average -2.04
Nasdaq Composite Index -1.89
Nikkei futures in Chicago 8,530
Nikkei futures in Osaka 9,000
TOP ASIA EVENTS:
For more Asian company earnings, see ASIA/EQTY
JAPAN - Reuters Tankan DI
HONG KONG - Li Ling Co Ltd final results
- China Shipping Development Co Ltd
final results
- Alibaba.com Ltd final results
- China Automation Group Ltd
final results
- China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd
final results
- China Resources Power Holdings Co Ltd
final results
- PetroChina Company Ltd final results
- Unemployment statistics, Dec 2010-Feb 2011
- Volume of external trade, January
AUSTRALIA - Reserve Bank of Australia bulletin
(Reporting by Gyles Beckford; Editing by Ed Davies)
((gyles.beckford@reuters.com; +64-4-4714231; Reuters Messaging: gyles.beckford.reuters.com@reuters.net)) For top Asian company news, double click on: U.S. company news European company news U.S. weekly outlook European weekly outlook Forex news Global Economy news Tech/Telecoms/Media Banking news Political/General news Asia Macro data ASIA STOCK MARKETS: Pan-Asia........ Japan....... S.Korea... S.E. Asia....... Hong Kong... Taiwan.... Australia/NZ.... India....... China..... DIARIES & DATA: IPO diary/data Asia earnings diary U.S. earnings diary European diary Hong Kong diary Wall Street Week Ahead Eurostocks Week Ahead LIVE PRICES & DATA: World Stocks Asian Stocks Dow Jones/NASDAQ / Nikkei FTSE 100 Debt Currency rates Keywords: MARKETS ASIA/ (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. 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 Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan's biggest bourse, staged a strong rebound on Wednesday, gaining nearly 6 percent, but the rally may prove short lived as the uncertainty surrounding nuclear plants saps fragile confidence.
Skittish markets look set to resume their sell off. The iShares MSCI Japan Index exchange traded fund, or EWJ, closed down 3.8 percent. Nikkei futures traded in Chicago closed down 5.06 percent, 470 points below the Osaka close.
Singapore-listed Nikkei futures last traded down nearly 5.1 percent.
Wall Street's main indexes fell around 2 percent on Japan's nuclear crisis. The CBOE market volatility index jumped 21 percent, the biggest percentage gain since Feb. 22, briefly touching the psychologically important 30 level. Wall Street's so-called fear index is up more than 46 percent this week.
Asian stocks listed on Wall Street fell 2.7 percent, while U.S.-listed shares of Japanese companies declined and the index of leading Japanese American Depositary Receipts lost 3.08 percent.
The yen has hit a record high against the dollar amid the nuclear crisis but investors are wary that the Bank of Japan may intervene to check the rise after it was seen checking rates.
British stocks fell 1.7 percent and European dipped 1.4 percent, the sixth consecutive session of losses, on Japan and the downgrading of Portugal's sovereign debt by Moody's.
Australian stocks are seen joining other falling markets. Share price index futures are down 1.7 percent at 4,491, a 67.2 point discount to the close of the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index.
HEADLINES: > Japan scrambles to avert nuclear plant disaster > Yen at record high versus greenback, stocks dive > TSE to keep Japan's trading floors open - report > US inflation pressure bubbles, home building dives > Gaddafi pummels rebels as war outpaces diplomacy > Bahrain crushes protests, draws U.S. criticism > Airlines scramble to assist Japan exodus > On borrowed time: US budget delays start to hurt > Bankers snort, groan as US regulator extols reform > Rising China threatens U.S. clout in Latin America > Japan supply squeeze worries spread to telco gear > Apple clobbered by rare Wall St downgrade > Colombia wins coveted S&P foreign currency rating > Portugal inches closer to sobering EU bailout
- -
KEY INDEXES pct change
Bank of New York Asia ADR index -2.70
Dow Jones Industrial Average -2.04
Nasdaq Composite Index -1.89
Nikkei futures in Chicago 8,530
Nikkei futures in Osaka 9,000
TOP ASIA EVENTS:
For more Asian company earnings, see ASIA/EQTY
JAPAN - Reuters Tankan DI
HONG KONG - Li Ling Co Ltd final results
- China Shipping Development Co Ltd
final results
- Alibaba.com Ltd final results
- China Automation Group Ltd
final results
- China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd
final results
- China Resources Power Holdings Co Ltd
final results
- PetroChina Company Ltd final results
- Unemployment statistics, Dec 2010-Feb 2011
- Volume of external trade, January
AUSTRALIA - Reserve Bank of Australia bulletin
(Reporting by Gyles Beckford; Editing by Ed Davies)
((gyles.beckford@reuters.com; +64-4-4714231; Reuters Messaging: gyles.beckford.reuters.com@reuters.net)) For top Asian company news, double click on: U.S. company news European company news U.S. weekly outlook European weekly outlook Forex news Global Economy news Tech/Telecoms/Media Banking news Political/General news Asia Macro data ASIA STOCK MARKETS: Pan-Asia........ Japan....... S.Korea... S.E. Asia....... Hong Kong... Taiwan.... Australia/NZ.... India....... China..... DIARIES & DATA: IPO diary/data Asia earnings diary U.S. earnings diary European diary Hong Kong diary Wall Street Week Ahead Eurostocks Week Ahead LIVE PRICES & DATA: World Stocks Asian Stocks Dow Jones/NASDAQ / Nikkei FTSE 100 Debt Currency rates Keywords: MARKETS ASIA/ (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. 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.