The Japan Thread

HONG KONG (AFX) - Shares across the Asia-Pacific region ended higher with
Tokyo stocks boosted by a government report saying that Japan may beat deflation
in the next fiscal year, dealers said.
A weaker yen also supported sentiment, they added.
Yesterday, the government reported that the GDP deflator is projected to be
up 0.1 pct for the year to March 2007, for the first time in eight years, while
the overall consumer price index is seen to rise in the year to March 2007 by
0.5 pct, the first positive figure since the year to March 1999.
The blue-chip Nikkei 225 Stock Average finished up 249.78 points or 1.6 pct
at 15,641.26, off a high of 15,647.69.
The broader-based TOPIX of all First Section shares gained 24.75 points or
1.6 pct to 1,613.99, off a high of 1,614.56.
"Investors actively purchased domestic-demand-led shares, such as property
developers and banks, as the government outlook report sparked hopes of Japan
emerging from deflation in the next fiscal year," said Mitsushige Akino, chief
fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management.