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Tokyo stocks up 3.61% as BoJ pumps more cash in Osaka (AFP) March 22, 2011 Tokyo stocks jumped 3.61 percent early Tuesday as traders returned from a public holiday and as the Bank of Japan renewed its emergency fund provision to soothe jittery markets. The key Nikkei index added 332.30 points to 9,539.05 in early trading. The broader Topix index was up 3.84 percent, or 31.85 points, at 862.24. Sentiment was boosted after the central bank on Tuesday injected two trillion yen ($24.67 billion) into the money market as it continued its emergency fund provision following a devastating earthquake and tsunami. It has now injected a total of 39 trillion yen to soothe markets and ease concerns about the ability of financial institutions to meet demand for funds. In early trade the yen was at 81.07 to the dollar, flat from overnight. Japan and its G7 economic allies on Friday intervened jointly in world currency markets for the first time in a decade to calm turmoil sparked by the huge earthquake of March 11 and an ensuing nuclear crisis. The announcement that the Japanese, US, eurozone, Canadian and British monetary authorities would take concerted action pushed down the yen from the post World War II dollar high it struck following the twin natural disasters. Last week the greenback had tumbled below 77 yen, a move Tokyo blamed on speculators betting on an influx of capital by Japanese companies to aid reconstruction efforts.
earlier related report Buffett, the chairman of investment firm Berkshire Hathaway, was visiting South Korea to attend a ground-breaking ceremony for a local unit of Israel's Iscar Metalworking Companies, 80 percent owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Japan's Nikkei index lost around 10 percent in the week following the devastating March 11 quake and tsunami. Buffett, however, urged against selling Japanese stock -- markets were closed in Tokyo on Monday -- and said Japan would recover relatively quickly, Yonhap news agency said. The disaster, which has left 8,649 people dead and 13,262 missing, could cost the Japanese economy up to $235 billion, the World Bank said Monday. Growth, however, should pick up in subsequent quarters "as reconstruction efforts, which could last five years, accelerate", it said. Buffett, known as the "Oracle of Omaha" for his investment savvy, said Berkshire was seeking further acquisitions worldwide including South Korea following its $9 billion purchase of US lubricant maker Lubrizol. "We're looking at a number of big businesses in Korea, the US, the UK. We hope to find good companies wherever they may be. Basically, it's the bigger, the better," he said. The tycoon also played down military and nuclear threats from North Korea, saying the communist country "isn't a big threat" to the firm's investment in the capitalist South. Buffett was scheduled to meet with South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak later Monday.
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Buffett says Japan quake a 'buying opportunity' Seoul (AFP) March 21, 2011 US billionnaire investor Warren Buffett said Monday that a massive natural disaster would not hamper the future of the Japanese economy and could prompt a new bout of stock buying. "I'm not looking at Japan's economic future differently from 10 days ago... extraordinary events offer (a) buying opportunity," he told reporters. Buffett, the chairman of investment firm Berkshire Hathaway, w ... read more |
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