There are some concerns that stock prices may be too high, and that seems to be weighing on the market.
The extent of the U.S. economic damage caused by Katrina is so unclear, and that could weigh on stocks there.
Share prices rose as technology shares here benefited from gains in the Nasdaq index.
Share prices fell in knee-jerk reaction to a retreat on Wall Street overnight. Investors also took a breather after the benchmark Nikkei index added more than 200 points yesterday.
Right now it seems to be the tech stocks that are doing well.... Their share prices aren't overpriced now. It's not really a novel theme, but investors seem to be putting money into stocks that have taken a bit of a breather.
Fundamentals are not really a worry. However, foreign investors are selling. If they start selling, other investors have a hard time buying aggressively.
If (the headline CPI) comes in above forecasts, I think there may be a little selling of stocks.
Retail investors here as well as some European investors appeared to buy banks actively.
Steel makers have attractive dividend yields and investors have to own the stock by the end of March in order to be able to collect the dividend.
Market sentiment was dampened by overseas investors who were net sellers in pre-opening orders today for the fifth trading day in row, on fears that possible increases in interest rates in the US and Japan could raise their funding costs for investing in equities here.
Most major firms have already reported their earnings, so market players are starting to shift their focus to macro indicators from micro ones.
There are serious worries consumer sentiment would deteriorate if possible U.S. military action lasts a long time,
After share prices surged two trading days in a row, market participants chose to lock-in profits.
A retreat in the value of yen against the dollar lifted automakers, which helped support the main indices.
Banks are also trying to test their credibility in the market after having not issued bonds or equities for a long while.
A softer New York market also helped accelerate the move.
There's a bit of a 'wait-and-see' mood in the market right now. Investors are waiting to hear more about interest rates and the government stance on IT growth.
This is typical market behavior right before official book-closings. We're seeing institutional investors selling cross-held shares and taking profits, while some are staying on the sidelines.
This is typical market behavior right before official book-closings, ... We're seeing institutional investors selling cross-held shares and taking profits, while some are staying on the sidelines.
The numbers weren't that big a surprise. It's just that investors are very cautious about high-techs at the moment and sensitive to anything that sounds negative,
The Wall Street tumble was pretty much within the range of our expectations. But Tokyo's gain could be just a one-time phenomenon,
The (U.S.) jobs data is weighing on the market.
In addition, the market has risen steadily as of late, so I think investors were hoping to see a correction at some point. In a sense, the jobs data became an excuse for the correction.
The market's relieved that the Fed rate hike is over with no negative surprises. Then again, there were no positive surprises either.
The market's power is limited right now and I think it's safe to assume that tomorrow's CPI data is the reason for that.
The market's interest in millennium-related stocks is also supporting such shares . Other sectors aren't looking that exciting at the moment.
The market's been hoping the Fed will announce a shift toward a neutral bias (towards future interest-rate changes), which could help the U.S. market recover.