Japan's Nikkei 225 Average, Topix Falls; Toyota, JFE Holdings Lead Decline

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese shares dropped, paced by
companies that rely on the U.S. market, after Caterpillar Inc.
said its profit dropped on lower North American sales. Exporters
such as Honda Motor Co. and Komatsu Ltd. led losses.

Investors also refrained from betting heavily on stocks
before the upper house election, which will be held on July 29.
The Nikkei newspaper reported yesterday Japan's ruling coalition
may lose its majority in the election, citing its own poll.


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Japanese Stocks May Rise as U.S. Retail Outlook Sends Dow, S&P to Records

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese shares may rise after U.S.
retailers' better than expected sales eased concern a housing
slump will curb consumer spending in the world's biggest economy.

Sony Corp. and Honda Motor Co. may lead gains after the Dow
Jones Industrial Average had the biggest advance since 2003.


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Japanese Stocks Drop, Led by Exporters on Concern U.S. Rates Won't Be Cut

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese shares declined by the most
in a month. Exporters paced losses on concern the U.S. Federal
Reserve will lift borrowing costs in Japan's largest overseas
market after a report showed home sales unexpectedly climbed.

Canon Inc., the world's largest digital camera maker,
dropped 2 percent and Toyota Motor Corp., the world's No.1
automaker by market value, fell 1.5 percent.


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Japan Shares Fall on Greenspan China Stocks Warning; Mitsubishi UFJ Drops

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese shares fell after former
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned the stock market
in China faces a ``dramatic contraction.''

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. dropped 2.1 percent and
Sony Corp. fell 1.4 percent as investors sold their holdings to
benefit from recent gains. U.S. stocks declined yesterday after
Greenspan's remarks.


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European shares open firmer, Daimler in focus

European shares opened firmer after strong performance in Japanese shares, and amid a slew of corporate news, while U.S. and several Asian markets are closed Monday.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst index of 300 leading shares rose 0.18 percent by 0802 GMT to 1,546.77 points.

London's FTSE 100 was up 0.3 percent, the French CAC 40 rose 2 percent and Germany's DAX gained 0.4 percent.

DaimlerChrysler shares rose 3.2 percent on news it was in talks with General Motors over the future of its ailing U.S. unit Chrysler.

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