THE JAPANESE STOCK RISES, THE YEN FALLS
The Japanese market was up and in the morning the Topix index was on course for April's best weekly gain on a day when the yen fell, tensions in Ukraine have eased and optimism about profits in the US is growing.
The Topix was up 0,5% to hit 1.172,06 by 9am in Tokyo. Thirty-one out of 33 industry groups were on the rise. The measure is heading towards a weekly gain of 3,4 percent. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 0,5% to 14.489.55. The yen dropped 0,1% to 102.48 against the dollar, marking the sixth day of declines, after yesterday's 0,2% loss. Stock markets in the US, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore were closed for holidays. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose yesterday in New York, closing the best week since last July on a day when General Electric and Morgan Stanley beat analysts' expectations. Four days of negotiations in Ukraine ended with an agreement that aims to take the first steps towards containing the conflict. President Putin said he hoped he didn't have to send troops to the area. "The Geneva meeting on the Ukrainian situation ended with an agreement that marks the first concrete steps to restore the security of all citizens" commented Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Deshchytsia, the secretary of US State John Kerry and Catherine Ashton, head of EU foreign policy.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-04-18/topix-rises-after-yen-weakens-as-ukraine-tensions-recede.html
