That also kept alive chances of more quantitative easing from the Bank of Japan. Major US stock indexes shifted between small gains and losses in afternoon trading Tuesday as investors considered the latest batch of company earnings and deal news. The Shanghai benchmark fell 3.1 percent to 3,320.68. But investors may be counting on moves by the central bank to counter those trends with more stimulus measures. Hong Kong markets are shut on Wednesday for a holiday. And they will heap pressure on the Bank of Japan ahead of a meeting next week, with speculation building that policymakers are set to announce more stimulus as Japan teeters on the brink of recession. Imports slumped 11.1%. The broader Topix index gained 1.8 percent to finish at 1,526.81. Japanese exports rose just 0.6 percent to 6.4 trillion yen ($53 billion) from the year before, according to the Ministry of Finance. Exports to China fell 3.5 percent from the year before, to 1.11 trillion yen ($9.2 billion). Canon, Mazda Motor, Honda Motor and Panasonic rose 2-4 percent. The Flemingsburg Gazette http://fleminggaSony Corp shares soared 4.4 percent after Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. agreed to pay up as much as $8 million to resolve a lawsuit by employees over the theft of their personal information in a computer hack linked to the studio's release of the movie "The Interview". It bought ¥135.30 and US$1.1328 in Asia on Tuesday. The Nasdaq lost 25 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,879. Wednesday's data was the first major indicator for September and is part of the calculation of third quarter gross domestic product. Rival Rio Tinto advanced 1.2 percent while Fortescue Metals Group soared 6 percent. Banks ended narrowly mixed, with ANZ rising 0.6 percent and Commonwealth inching up 0.1 percent, while Westpac dropped 0.3 percent and NAB slipped 0.1 percent. ENERGY: Benchmark USA crude fell 13 cents to $46.14 a barrel in New York. SanDisk gained $3.19 to $75.19. Western Digital fell $5.62, or 7 percent, to $74.86. While the scheme showed early promise, with stocks surging and growth advancing, recent weak numbers have raised questions about its effectiveness as consumer prices stagnate and economic growth stalls. Shipments to Asia - which account for about a half of Japan's overall exports - fell 0.9 per cent in the year to September. The Dow is down 3.4 percent this year, while the S&P 500 is off 1.4 percent. Seoul edged up 0.18 per cent by the close and Sydney rose 0.24 per cent. There were also gains in Singapore, Jakarta, Wellington and Manila. The Flemingsburg Gazette http://fleminggazette.com/9887/japan-trade-deficit-narrows-but-exports-fall-short/zette.com/9887/japan-trade-deficit-narrows-but-exports-fall-short/

Source