Japanese Stocks Advance as Germany, France Express Support for Greece - Bloomberg

Japanese stocks rose, with the Nikkei 225 (NKY) Stock Average headed for its biggest gain in a week, after German and French leaders said they are convinced Greece will remain in the euro zone and speculation grew that China may help the region’s most-indebted nations.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. (8306), Japan’s largest publicly traded lender, gained 1.2 percent. Sony Corp. (6758), which depends on Europe for more than 20 percent of its sales, climbed 1.7 percent after the euro appreciated against the yen, boosting the exporter’s earnings outlook. Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), the biggest carmaker by market value, advanced 1.3 percent.

The Nikkei 225 rose 1.6 percent to 8,653.92 as of 9:24 a.m. in Tokyo, set for its biggest increase since Sept. 7. The broader Topix added 1.3 percent to 751.31, with about 10 shares rising for each that fell.

“There was a concern that France and Germany would one- sidedly blame Greece and show no support, but the situation on Greece was not as bad as expected,” said Mitsushige Akino, who oversees about $600 million in Tokyo at Ichiyoshi Investment Management Co. “Following the stronger euro, more companies sensitive to the euro on earnings will likely be bought.”

The Topix fell 17 percent through yesterday this year amid concern U.S. growth is sputtering and Europe’s debt crisis will damage the banking system, damping demand in two of Japan’s biggest export markets.
Support For Greece

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced for a third day yesterday in New York, rising 1.4 percent. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are “convinced” Greece will remain in the euro area, according to a statement issued by Sarkozy after they spoke to Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou by telephone. Futures on the S&P 500 were little changed today.

China is willing to buy the bonds of nations hit by the debt crisis, Caijing reported on its website yesterday, citing Zhang Xiaoqiang, a vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission.

The euro rose against the majority of its most-traded counterparts, after leaders of the region’s two-largest economies express support for Greece. The shared-currency appreciated to 105.59 yen from 104.82.

Earlier yesterday in New York, stocks slumped after inventories in the U.S. rose less than forecast in July, indicating companies are bracing for slowing demand.

Separate data showed U.S. retail sales unexpectedly stagnated in August as a lack of employment and limited income growth restrained demand, highlighting the risk the world’s biggest economy will stall.

To contact the reporters on this story: Norie Kuboyama in Tokyo at nkuboyama@bloomberg.net; Toshiro Hasegawa in Tokyo at thasegawa6@bloomberg.net.