Japan stocks gain, as blue-chip shares outperform
Post# of 102233
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japan stocks nosed higher in early Monday trading, with blue-chip names outperforming the global market as the Japanese yen weakened at the weekend. The Nikkei Stock Average (TYO:JP:100000018) , tracking Tokyo's top 225 stocks, rose 0.4% to 8,987.04, although the broader Topix added just 0.1%. Tech majors traded mixed, with advances including a 2.6% gain for Advantest Corp. (TYO:JP:6857) (OTN:ADTTF) , a 1.6% rise for Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TYO:JP:8035) (OTN:TOELF) , and a 1.5% improvement for Komatsu Ltd. (TYO:JP:6301) (OTN:KMTUF) . But some of the largest names fell, with Panasonic Corp. (TYO:JP:6752) (NYSEC) dropping 3.9% after posting a record fiscal-year loss late Friday, and Sony Corp. (TYO:JP:6758) (NYSE:SNE) extended weakness from its own earnings report, posted last Thursday, to trade down 2.8%, with CNBC reporting the shares at their lowest point since Sony introduced the Walkman portable stereo near the start of the 1980s. Financials, meanwhile, rebounded from weakness Friday in the wake of a surprise trading loss by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) . Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. (TYO:JP:8316) (NYSE:SMFG) rose 1.6% ahead of its earnings report this week, while Daiwa Securities Group Inc. (TYO:JP:8601) (OTNSECF) gained 1.5%, and Bank of Yokohama Ltd. (TYO:JP:8332) (OTN:BKJAY) surged 3.8%.