the nikkei closes above 18,000. the move is not restricted to the equity markets. check out the 10 year government bond deal. we have gone from 0.2% in the 10 year, and in a month the yield has doubled to 0.44%. what has come and gone in japanese markets? we are joined by the head of the global strategy team. great to have you with us. you saw that picture of the 10 year. it is still low. what is the bond market telling us right now in japan? >> i think the bond market is telling us the bank of japan being in the room, when we see trading going through we believe we have seen some of the pension funds rotate towards equities. you get volatility going through. they're in mind the moves we have seen in the backend of the japanese government market have been mirrored in other markets as well. ten-year yields coming around 2%. i don't think this is purely a japanese phenomenon. i think it is amplified because of the low yields we have seen. >> might we be seeing what you have touched on, the great rotation that has not happened? is it happening in japan right now? >> t

height now the benchmark nikkei index trading at 18,318.hat is a gain of 2/3 percent from wednesday's close, and it is at the highest level since may 2000. investors are buying a wide range of shares on strong corporate earnings but some are selling to take profits from recent gains. now, let's take a look at currencies. the dollar is actually trading lower against the yen. the minutes of january's federal reserve meeting showed that the fed remains in no rush to raise rates. most of the asian stock markets are closed for lunar new year holidays. the australian exchange is open. yesterday the main index hit the highest level in almost seven years. right now it looks like some profit taking is taking place. >>> japanese finance ministry officials say the country posted another trade deficit in january, but it was down substantially from a year ago. the officials have released preliminary figures showing the trade deficit last month was about $9.9 billion. japan has now racked up trade shortfalls for 31 straight months. that's the longest run

the nikkei closes at a 15-year high. dovish fed minutes.ed officials judge that dollar strength and uncertainty in greece have inclined them to keep rates near zero lower. if you didn't get through all those minutes, i don't blame you. bloomberg has tracked the amount of words in the federal reserve minutes over the last number of months. we break through a thousand words. if you got bored reading that, i don't blame you. let's bring in manish singh. the words, it does mean something. they are scared of their own shadow. they are really struggling to communicate what they want to get across to the market, to investors, to main street. guest: there's a lot of talk. the fed doesn't want to create a wave. they want to stay on the sidelines and keep watching what is happening. the statement was very clear, that the fed would rather risk inflation then start tightening. what if you look at this, almost 35 central banks have eased. by even staying where they are they are actually tightening. i would say it is not a bad minutes. according to my vi

nikkei futures pointing to a lower open after the decay to 25 closed -- after the nikkei closed -- the nikkei to the five closed at -- that china's manufacturing sector is not only slowing down at shrinking. now with the details. two years and four months. it was expected to slow down. >> you alluded to the 50, which indicates ahead activity will slow. there is a survey of managers that ask a bunch of questions. when it gets to the 50 it shows you may be a touchy spot of the next two months. that is what you have over the course of the next seven months. there are a few reasons. seasonal factor, ahead of the chinese new year. that being said we usually see a spike in orders. it falls in mid february. we could see that offsets when those go in. you have seasonal factors as well. >> it is officially about state owned companies. they are more private owned companies. we are starting to see some similarities there. >> it is definitely broad-based. it shows you the traditional industries and that is really where you see a real pinch. before you had the steel mills, the cement producers and

the nikkei 225 at fresh 15 year highs for the index. remember the markets liked what they saw with the u. s. data overnight. they also liked what they heard from janet yellen imlying she is in no rush to raise the fed. >> there were buying off the stocks and they got a lift that a major public pension fund said they would increase to equities. from 25% to 8% prior. incidentally goldman had a bullish call. 21,700 for the index by the end of the year. elsewhere, china stocks another big out performer up by almost 2.2% at the end of the trading day. so the best percentage rise in three weeks. insurance, banking and the real estate sectors provided positive leadership. on that note back to you in london. >> thank you. just checking in on what the latest results were. they lost to sheffield united. >> you have to follow the local side mate. >> thank you very much for that update. the less we say about football the better this morning. >> agreed. >> seema, what's up next. >> all right. settle down. coming up on this show auto makers are movin

the nikkei rose to levels not seen in nearly 15 years. it ended at 18,264 a gain of .4%. many traders saw encouraging signs in japanese export data and corporate earnings. meanwhile, in australia, the s&p asx 200 saw declines, 5,904. turning to currencies euro dollar is at 1.1398. investors are keenly awaiting new developments in the greek debt talks. dollar yen is at 118.91. they will look for the latest data on u.s. unemployment and insurance claims due out later today. >>> some economists expect the good times to keep on rolling for japanese stocks. one says there is a strong chance the nikkei will top 20,000. >> translator: if we see a positive economic cycle take shape, in other words if wages go up and corporate investment increases, then stock prices will likely rise to the next level. >> another takes a different view. he says the late surge is not supported by real economic factors and he warns monetary easing measures created a global surplus of cash. >> translator: unless there is a swift and strong recovery in personal spending or a rapid increase in exports l

the nikkei has gone up only a tiny amount of a 1% move yesterday that saw a nikkei hit a 15 year high came after news that the civil service pension fund would sharply increase it's allocation to domestic equities. we had chinese equities laeping around 2% yesterday. today they're offsetting that move. the australian markets had a strong run over the course of the last month itself and the currency which did sell off during february when the rate cut that we had came has indeed recovered itself. so strong month for australian equities and the currency as well. >> let's also focus in on india. ib ves tos are calling it the biggest economic event of the year. modi promised reform but can he deliver? investors will be looking through india's annual budget which will be unveiled tomorrow and ahead of the market the stock market is on fire gaining 40% over the past one year. joining us to discuss is jeff. thank you for joining us this morning. before we get into what to expect from modhi tomorrow tell us how important is this budget in comparison to other years? it's very important. it's g

japan's nikkei retreated from a seven-year high today closing down 0.4% 17,913. now investors booked profits and sold export related shares on the higher yen. for the week the nikkei rose 1.5%. in in in china the zhang shy posit rose nearly 1%. fresh measures showed sentiment ahead of the lunar holiday that kicks off next week. australian shares surged to a seven-year high. the main index finished the day higher 2.3%. hong kong gaining more than 1%. south korea closed up 0.8%. taking a look at currencies now. the euro is moving in a narrow range. euro dollar is at 1.1412. euro yen 135.62. some market players are digesting the economic data. but some traders are buying the euro on expectations. talks on greece's bailout program between athens and its international creditors. >>> european union leaders have sat down together in brussels to friend solutions for greeces adebt crisis. they failed to make any progress. greece is asking to rescue its debt crisis. greek prime minister alexis tsipras made his first appearance at the eu summit as a representative of the co

the nikkei 225 is off. they are rising for a fourth day. we are breaking past the 18th thousand 500 level for the first time in 16 years. -- 18,500 level for the first time in 16 years. the u.s. dollar is falling giving investors another reason to hit the buy button. the euro, on the back of everything in greece, largely unchanged. a greek deal later. so, very quickly before crude oil and a price on that one. the last time i checked, above $50. of $.12. -- up $.12. brent is also -- there we go. about $.15. $50.37 a buys you a barrel. after dipping below $1200. let me leave it fair for now. i will send it back to you. -- let me leave it as therefore now. >> the greek government walks a new high wire over the next 24 hours. privacy elect tsipras -- prime minister elect tsipras has come up with a new ideas. the one of the ongoing stories and has had a deadline all of month. the bailout program. >> indeed. monday, a pretty crucial one. it absolutely is. the clock is ticking. they try to formulate and finalize this list of policies for continued

the nikkei 225 was the only market that was green. off the high for the day. 18,052, still fairly high levels. let me just break that down for you. take a look at which sector groups are moving along. industrials are doing quite well, up 1.2%. heavy equipment makers, engineering companies, industrial goods, capital goods, engineering. 19 out of the 23, 1, 2, 3 4, 5 6, so on and so forth. that is a sector doing well on the nikkei 225. bond yields, higher for the 10 year -- 10-year. there you go. the five-year is also up. there we go. a little bit. overall, let's take a look at asia. i mentioned japan is leading the way. in fact, it was the only market up. there you go. japan up 7/10 of 1%. the rest of asia australia, new zealand, and of course singapore, which is just opening up, down about 4/10 of 1%. i will be back later on. >> greece and its creditors have been holding top-level phone calls in the last few hours. this is as time ticks away on greece's debt. creditors say this is been following a long-running drama. >> there has been

nikkei gaining .5% higher.australian equities paring off from its seven-year high close on friday. down. 1% higherrea, kospi at the start of the session. we have some strength in the korean yuan as it mimics the japanese yen. it is at 1095.31. minds all day today, it is greece and its creditors. they have been holding phone calls in the next few hours as time ticks away. greece once a new loan that would allow it to introduce reforms without austerities. creditors say no. not only are the creditors saying no, the countries that impose austerity are saying that is not fair. >> germany, for example. they are saying they are running out of patience with greece. fewy, just in the last hours, we have seen protests. banners,ople with chanting in front of the parliament building in athens. and protests run across the rest of the country, saying we are against austerity. eu.s killing the at the same time, 320 billion euros and $364 billion is the bottom line. today, we had the emergency meeting with finance ministers.

the nikkei is hitting a milestone. it is trading at a 15-year high.hat in our business segment in just a moment. but first we take you to ukraine, where separatists there backed by russia say they've taken full control of a key railway hub in an eastern part of the country. they've seen government troops ordered out of the city of debaltseve. they hoisted their flags on rooftops to show their initiative in the truce process.

nikkei 225. futures, 22 a higher open -- pointing to a higher open. a robust jobs report on friday coming out of the u.s. the dollar-yen is strengthening. trends asia plane crash in taipei killed 35 people. how there are new revelations that the airline pushed the government to delay a safety rule designed to prevent such accidents. a story you will see only on bloomberg. what did they learn? pilots andrned that aircraft need more time at the gate in between flights. the logbooks reveal the pilots of this flight were on the ground just 20 minutes in the prior time before the flight crashed. they had made two trips that morning. this was their second trip to this island off the coast of taiwan. on the return, this is when this problem surfaced. this is not the first time that been revealedt is that their planes do not spend enough time on the ground. in july of last year, when the first crash happened, the crash 48 lives in july of last year, the concern with the pilots of that airline -- [no audio] it allows an airline to be more profitable, but it do

the nikkei is locked in a narrow range.he benchmark index currently in the negative by just a touch. now, with currencies the dollar is slightly lower against the yen, and it's trading at the upper 118 level. the euro continues on a weaker tone against the dollar. the single currency is trading in the lower 1.113 range. in asia australian shares are trading -- let's see what's happening. we are seeing flat moves in australia, up just a touch. south korean stocks extending gains for a fifth straight session. china will open on wednesday after the lunar new year holidays. >>> the people at japanese firm hitachi are laying the tracks for a push into overseas markets. they're set to buy the rail car and signaling units of italian industrial group fin mechanica. sources say executives at the firms have reached a basic agreement. they say the deal will likely exceed $2 billion. hitachi executives expect the takeover will more than double revenue from their rail business to about $3.4 billion a year. they're expected to wrap up th

the nikkei jumped 1.2% at the open, now building on those gains up by 1.8%. oil related shares being heavily bought this morning, a weaker yen is prompting investors to buy japanese exporters. now, higher oil prices are setting currency traders on a risky mood they are buying the dollar. against the yen, the dollar is now at the upper 117 yen range. the euro is also gaining ground on concerns for greece's debt in other markets across the asia pacific region south korea's benchmark adding to its recent gains, we saw a rally on tuesday to a 7-year high that's after the central bank cut its key interest rate. over in south korea, the kosspi is trading higher as well, up by 8/10%. >>> new auto sales in the u.s. last month hit the highest level for january in nine years. sales of support utility vehicles were strong amid a moderate economic recovery and lower gasoline prices. analysts ss at a research firm say carmakers sold 1.15 million vehicles in january. looking at u.s. carmakers, general motors sales rose 18% from a year earlier, ford posted an increase of mo

the nikkei is trading higher by .75% from third's close. oil related companies are especially higher. they're moving in a narrow range this morning. ahead of the u.s. jobs data today. the euro is trading higher against the dollar and against the yen. traders are speculating the greek government may have to tone down it's demands to its creditors. looking at other markets in the asia specific trading lower by a touch this morning. in australia the benchmark index is trading just a bit higher. so we're seeing a bit of a mixed picture in the asia pacific. i'll be back with more of your headlines. here's a look at other markets. >>> japanese lawmakers have been struggling to find a way to reverse the country's population problem. deaths are out pacing births and more and more women are putting off having children. now officials in a city near tokyo are helping them extend their child bearing years. >> reporter: officials want to offer women some options for future pregnancies. they are ready to launch an initiative allowing them to freeze and s

the benchmark nikkei trading flat pretty much unchanged. it is in the positive now. some investors are selling stocks on a stronger yen. the dollar is weaker against the yen. after rising initially on yellin's testimony, it is now trading right below 119. 118.66 to 71. the euro is almost unchanged against the dollar. as traders had already factors in the approval of the greek budget reforms. the single currency in the mid 1.113 levels against the dollar. south korean stocks are falling. they're continuing a bullish streak for a sixth straight session. the cost is up 6/10 of a%. over in australia, the benchmark is trading up higher a little more than 8/10 of a%. >>> many investors in the u.s. australia and other countries have been putting their money in infrastructure fund markets. officials at the tokyo stock exchange have decided to get in on the act. they plan to open a new market as early as april. other targets of investment include airports and railways. investors will share the prophets from those facilities. officials plan to establish rules for the new marke

the nikkei did open half a percent higher but is trading in the negative down by a tenth of a percent. oil-related shares are being bought but trading momentum overall, is a bit weak. >>> lower than expected data on u.s. manufacturing and consumer spending are weighing on market sentiment. we are seeing little movement in the currency pairs, dollar slightly lower against the yen, in the lower 117 range. the focus now is on the australian central bank. many investors expect policy makers there to announce a cut in the key interest rate after wrapping up their meeting later in the day. the aussie dollar is range bond against the u.s. dollar hovering at .078. the benchmark index has gone up nine days in a row through monday and is still building on that winning streak. it is now higher by .2%. kospi is trading down by a third of a percent. bit of a mixed picture this morning. >>> toshiba appear set to continue from their global retreat from manufacturing tvs. in last week they announced they'll phase out sales everywhere except japan. sources say the executives are in talks with mirror t

the nikkei now trading higher by 8/10 of a% from tuesday's close. almost all sectors are higher this morning, sentiment is being boosted by a media report saying greece is looking to ask for an extension to its loan agreement. >> the dollar rising against the yen as yields on u.s. bonds have gone up sharply. treasury yields have been climbing as many traders speculate that the federal reserve will raise its key rate this year. the euro is higher against the dollar and the yen on hopes for a potential agreement on greek debt. many markets are closed for the lunar new year holidays in the asia pacific region including south korea, australia's benchmark index is not up on the screen at the moment, but i can tell you that it is trading in the positive this morning. >>> japan's leading furniture retailer is mired in a quarrel with its family owner. he wants to remove his daughter from the post of president to revamp the firm's business. company officials announced that founder and former president presented shareholders with a proposal last month to dism

tokyo's nikkei was closed for the holiday. wall street's stocks ended higher following some positive the dow gained 139 points. the s&p finished 21 points higher and the nasdaq rose 61 points. >>> apple is now the first u.s. company to be valued at more than $700 billion. apple stock jumped 2% yesterday, raising its market value to more than $710 billion. record sales including the new iphone and profits have boosted shares. apple announced it would spend $800 million on a massive solar project to power its campus and other projects. >>> a federal science panel is moving major efforts to cool the planet. the national research council says there's a lack to reduce it. the suggestions include giant machines to suck greenhouse gases from the air and aerosol sprays to reflect sunlight back into space. many scientists though, think the proposals could set off dramatic changes in weather patterns. >>> and tonight's powerball drawing could be one of the largest in jackpot history. it's surged to at least $485 million. that's the thur

look at the nikkei over ten years.where near the 39,000 level it peaked at around christmas of 1989 but ready to go through some important levels. so really, the moral to this santelli exchange is, the reason you hear so many analysts looking to europe is because they're looking for santa. and santa is going to make an appearance in march so be careful as to what disengaged markets in the u.s. may look like when the flow starts to take over. back to you. >> a good reminder from our santelli clause. thanks so much. >>> when we come back, forget action figures drones one of the most popular gifts for kids this year. live to the biggest toy convention of the year, for a closer look in just a moment. "squawk alley" is back in a minute. [ female announcer ] who are we? we are the thinkers. the job jugglers. the up all-nighters. and the ones who turn ideas into action. we've made our passions our life's work. we strive for the moments where we can say, "i did it!" ♪ we are entrepreneurs who started it all... with a signature

the nikkei index still in negative territory down 0.17%.xport-related issues are being sold on a relatively stronger yen. so on to currencies. the dollar is trading lower against the yen. traders are selling the dollar after weak u.s. retail sales in january. they became a bit skeptical about an early hike in key interest rates. now, the euro that is actually stronger against the dollar. investors are buying the single currency on the cease-fire deal in ukraine. they are hoping for some agreement on the debt problems in greece, too. looking at other markets in this part of the world, south korea's kospi trading higher this morning, up .4%, 1950. over in australia the benchmark is jumping, up 1.8% this morning. we'll see where trading takes us throughout the day. >>> now, on to some earnings corporate earnings that is. sales and profits are down at one of japan's beverage makers. officials at kirin holdings report disappointing sales of its premium beer brands for the business year through december. the officials say the firm's annual operat

now, the nikkei is trading higher by more than half a percent. 18,690 this morning.n currencies the dollar's locked in a tight range against the dollar and it's now trading right around the 119-yen level. and across asia trading is somewhat choppy. forklifts are hunting for bargains. still lingering concerns about the global economy are weighing down on market sentiment. australian stock prices down just about half a percent. south korea snapped its bullish trend. it's now down just about a quarter percent. >>> executives at japan's mizuho bank are in talks to buy a british financial group's loan business in north america. sources say the negotiations between mizuho and the royal bank of scotland rbs, are in the final stages. the acquisition is believed to be worth several billion dollars. rbs has operations around the world. it's streamlining its business to recover from a slump triggered by the 2008 global financial crisis. mizuho and other japanese major banks are also expanding their overseas services. that's because low interest rates in japan are making it diff

the nikkei 225 is an out per former today. fresh 8 year closing highs and the bank of japan, not a great deal of reaction there. the central bank in japan keeping rates steady and staying on course in terms of bond buying program although some do believe the risks are skewed and we could see some action before the first half of the year is done. the story involving japan involveing australia as well. they soared by more than 40%. that's on the $5.1 billion proposed take over offer from japan post. that's the deal that still has to go through the regulatory ringer but the markets like it. the australian index and aussie dollar as well. it will start dropping off. chinese markets will be closed for the chinese lunar new year over the course of the week. they will reopen on february 25th. so we're going to see quite a drop off in trading activity volumes wilfred and seema over the course of the next seven days. back to you. >> sri, thank you so much. we are keeping an eye on the situation between russia and ukraine despite confli

in fact, the nikkei is getting ever so close to the key 18,000 level.hat's the highest in two months. the weaker yen is also boosting market sentiment. right now the benchmark index is trading higher by 1.79% from tuesday's close. wednesday was a public holiday. almost all sectors are higher. investors are buying shares of blue chip exporters like toyota and canon. on to currencies now. the dollar is trading above the 120-yen level. that's the highest since early january. many traders are speculating the federal reserve may raise its key interest rate sooner than anticipated. and the euro has moved up and down as conflicting media reports came from brussels during the finance ministers meeting. some said they reached an agreement in principle. others said they are still at odds. and look at some other markets in the asia pacific region we're seeing south korea's kospi and australia's benchmark index in the negative. tokyo bucking the trend, up 1.8%. >>> japanese electronics maker toshiba has built a medical equipment plan in malaysia. it's part of a str

the benchmark nikkei is trading lower by .6% at the moment. 17,606.urrency traders, they're also worried about the developments over in greece. they're buying the yen against the dollar and the euro. that's because they regard the japanese currency as a relatively safer asset. and looking at some other markets in the asia pacific region this morning south korea's kospi is in the negative, down by a quarter percent. 1941. let's see what's happening down under. australia's benchmark index, that's in negative territory as well. down a third of a percent at 5,795. so looks like we've got a pretty negative start to our asia pacific markets this morning. i'll keep track of trading for you throughout the day. i'll leave you now with a check on some other market figures. ♪ ♪ >>> some people in japan are living with the legacy of a disfiguring illness. they've been cured of leprosy, or hansen's disease, but they're still struggling with the stigma. the sickness is caused by bacteria that attack the skin and nose and leave victims disfigured. that together with

here in asia the nikkei closed above 18,000. the first time that's happened since july 2007. japan's fourth quarter gdp figures failed to live up to expectations. but investors do think low crude oil prices and signs of wage increases will boost japanese shares. in australia the main index there hitting a seven-year high rising nearly 0.2% 5,888. the resource heavy market rose on gains in the energy and mining sectors. taking a look now at other asian markets shanghai posting a six-day winning streak by rising 0.6%. hong kong closed up just about 0.2%. disappointing economic data from china boosted expectations that the central bank will take further stimulus measures. here's a look at currencies now. the euro is slightly gaining ground against the dollar and the yen. euro/dollar at 1.1413. while euro/yen is at roughly 118.59. market players expect greece and its international creditors to reach a last-minute deal in brussels. >>> all right. that is going to do it for biz tonight. i'll leave you with the markets. >>> u.s. regulators have proposed rules for flying unmanned air

on monday the nikkei index had rebounded to its highest level in more than seven years.t is now trading lower by just about .3% from monday's close. the failed talks in brussels are weighing on market sentiment here too. looking at some other markets i the asia pacific region south korea's kospi is in the positive just by a touch. australia's benchmark index is down a third of a percent. >>> well the people who used to make pcs for sony are staging a comeback, and they say they're ready to take on all challengers. executives at vaio have revived their flagship z series with two new hybrid laptops. the executives launch the models in tokyo. they started a new company last year but kept the name used by sony before it off-loaded its struggling pc arm to a local investment fund. the executives designed the new computers with rotating screens so they can double as tablets. they say users can also draw on the screens with special pens. >> translator: we're making products that show we're back and we're ready to carve out our share of the market. we're challengers. >> vaio exe

earlier here in asia tokyo's nikkei edged higher to a fresh 15-year high. shanghai closed at a one-month high. and mumbai outperformed the region's markets on hopes for the government's budget, which will be announced tomorrow. but in seoul and jakarta, investors there taking some profits from recent gains. moving on to currencies the dollar remains pretty strong against the yen after positive u.s. economic data yesterday. the euro is still pretty week against the dollar and the yen. in march the european central bank will start a quantitative easing program. >>> all right. that is going to wrap it up for biz tonight. i'll leave you with the markets. >>> researchers in australia have unveiled the world's first jet engine made entirely with a 3-d printer. they say the new technology is expected to drastically cut more manufacturing costs. the avalon international air show in australia features the latest developments in aviation technology. this one meter long engine was developed by engineers at monash university and associates. each component was made with

the nikkei index sended 0.8% higher at 17,648. in china the shanghai composite index closed down nearly 2% 3,075. that's the lowest closing in a month and a half. traders held back in preparation of a flurry of initial public offerings. in taiwan the main index ended 9,456. investors sold shares due to worse than expected earnings reports of semiconductor makers. airline related stocks were also sold today on the back of that deadly plane crash on wednesday. >>> let's take a look now at the overall region. congress hang closed lower 0.3%. australia, though seeing its 12th straight day of gains. moving on to currencies the dollar is moving in a pretty narrow range against the majors. dollar/yen is at 117.30. euro dollar is at 1.1441. market players are taking a look at u.s. jobs and wages data due out later on in the day for some further clues as to when the fed might be raise interesting rates. >>> okay. that is going to wrap it up for biz tonight. let's get a check of the markets. >>> a poll by the reuters news agency suggests a

here in tokyo, though the benchmark nikkei fell 0.3% 17,652. investors were a bit worried by the chinese data as well as the deepening friction between greece and its creditors. here's how other markets closed out the day. hong kong, as you can see there, finishing pretty much flat on the day. sydney slipped about a quarter of a percent. moving on to currencies the dollar is gaining ground slightly against the majors dollar/yen is at 118.95. dollar euro is at -- or euro dollar, rather is at 1.1281. now some market players remain cautious about the outlook for greece' bailout prime minister before the eurozone finance ministers meeting on wednesday. >>> well japan's exports of foreign and fishery products hit a record high last year. that's thanks to a weaker yen and the growing popularity of japanese cuisine around the world. agriculture ministry officials say the exports of farm forestry, and marine products in 2014 topped the 600 billion yen mark for the first time since statistics on this began back in 1955. the figure was nearly 5.2 billion

here in asia japan's nikkei closed at a fresh 7.5 year high at 18,199 after the boj met expectations by deciding to maintain monetary easing. australian shares mean time also jumped to a seven-year high closing at 5,915. markets rallied thanks to a 47% rise in toll holdings. that's after the logistics company accepted a $5 billion takeover from japan post. in other markets around asia many investors were off work already for the chinese new year holidays. hong kong was shut for the afternoon session. but it did manage to hit a three-week high in the morning when it closed up 0.2%. jakarta also rose to record highs up nearly 1%. taking a look at currencies now the euro is moving in a narrow range against the dollar. euro/dollar at roughly 1.1383. meanwhile dollar/yen is at 119.27. market players are waiting for the latest data on u.s. inflation, as well as industrial output for january. >>> well executives over at sony have announced another streamlining move. they plan to spin off their audio and visual equipment business. possibly in october. president hirai presented the company's

tokyo's nikkei lost half a percent. hong kong's hang seng lost a fraction. glad to see the end of january. uncertainty over the price of oil sent stocks markedly lower. the dow lost 500 points at the end of the month. the s&p finished 56 points lower and the nasdaq lost 122 points for the week. >>> the price of oil dropped again this morning after workers at nine shell oil refineries walked off the job. united steelworkers called the strike, which is the largest of u.s. refineries since 1980. nearly 4,000 workers mostly in california and texas walked off the job at midnight. the union rejected shell's fourth contract offer. shell is serving as the lead company in national oil talks. >>> well, the former chief of the international monetary fund dominique strauss-kahn goes on trial this morning in france on sex charges. he was once considered a top presidential candidate in france. he's accused of being involved in a prostitution ring in france. he also resigned from the imf in 2011 when he was accused of sexually assaulting a u.s. hotel made. >>> another box

earlier in asia tokyo's nikkei closed at a 15-year high and many other markets posted gains, after theunar new year holidays. seoul closed at a 2 1/2 month high. shanghai, though still closed there for a holiday. in fact it's closed until tuesday. on to currencies now. the euro fell against the dollar after germany's corporate sentiment index was lower than market expectations. we're seeing it at roughly 1.1301. and the dollar is trading in a narrow range against the yen, dealers are avoiding active trading ahead of fed chair janet yellen's testimony later on this week. they'll be looking for any hints about the timing of a rate hike. >>> well japan's domestic shipments of home electric appliances dropped for the fourth straight month in january. last year's consumption tax hike is seen as the main reason. the japan electrical manufacturers association says shipments totalled about $1.1 billion in january. that's down 22% in yen terms from the same month in 2014. the sharp declines are attributed to unusually large shipments the previous year when consumers went on a last-minute buying

the nikkei retreating from its 7.5 year high closing just a touch lower 17 sshs 987. worries about europe also weighing on investor sentiment. here's how other asian markets wrapped up the day. hong kong finished a quarter percent higher. seoul finished the day nearly 0.2% higher. after the south korean central bank left its interest rate unchanged at 2% as expected. taking a look at currencies now, the euro has been gaining some ground against the dollar. euro/dollar is at roughly 1.1405. we're seeing some market players do expect the eurozone finance ministers will be sitting down again this week to discuss that greek bailout. meanwhile, the dollar is moving in a narrow range against the yen. right now at 118.87. traders waiting for the outcome of a two-day policy meeting by the bank of japan that wraps up on wednesday, as well as comments from governor kuroda. >>> china's real estate market remains a bit sluggish. housing prices in many major cities continue to fall last month but there are signs that the situation is stabilizing. officials at the national bureau o

the benchmark nikkei opened higher and is now trading higher by just above a tenth of a percent. 18,812at the moment. some investors, though, are selling to lock in profits after recent rallies. now, over in currencies the dollar rose overnight against the yen and the euro, and that was on u.s. data showing higher core inflation. the dollar now trading well above the 119-yen level. and against the euro the dollar is near the highest in over a decade. currently at the 1.12 level. now let's take a look at other stock markets outside of japan. seoul's kospi index closely tied to u.s. shares. that is trading lower this morning after the dow jones declined. the kospi down a third of a percent. australian share prices are trading just a touch higher right now up about a tenth of a percent. so we're seeing pretty modest moves so far this friday morning in the asia pacific. that's the latest in business for this hour. i will leave you with a check on some other markets. ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> the japanese government has committed $32 million to assist u.n. reconstruction efforts in the gaza strip. the terri

here in tokyo the nikkei and the shanghai composite were both pulled down by profit taking. moving on to currencies the dollar is trading lower against its major peers as the prospects for an early rate hike diminished in the u.s. dollar/yen is at roughly 118.75. out euro has been pretty well supported after eurozone finance ministers approved greece's reform plan late tuesday. meanwhile the australian dollar jumped to a one-month high against the greenback. that's after china's manufacturing data for february beat market expectations. china is of course australia's biggest trading partner. >>> well officials at the tokyo stock exchange will be opening a new market for trading funds that specialize in infrastructure development as early as april. such markets are already in operation in the united states australia, as well as other countries. now this market will be aimed at funds that invest in projects such as renewable power generating plants and public facilities like airports and railways. investors will share the profits from the projects. tse officials plan to establi

nikkei newspaper staying on earnings. it may reach 3 million.rities were down. underwriting was better. overseas pretax loss ¥2.5 billion. also in earnings, ¥161 billion predicted loss for kansai. you had week data from the u.s. you are seeing money flow into safe havens right now. let me and very quickly here on the dollar. it is higher ahead of the rba decision. it is too complex to call. >> tony abbott is remaining defiant. >> he has been hammering his report to date. he has been pointing out a number of things that the government promised and delivered. getting rid of carbon tax and mining text. ax. he has not been mentioning the things that are getting them into trouble. most recently, the symbolic knighting of prince philip which subjected him to harsh ridicule last week. he mainly wants to reduce the deficit, get the budget back under control. on that plain, he abandoned his paid parental leave scheme. he did not touch on his leadership at all until the very last line of his speech when he said "you elected us you elected me to set up aus