Japanese stocks gained for the first time in four days as Tokyo Electric Power Co. advanced after the government said it didn’t support a breakup of the utility and as carmakers climbed.
Tokyo Electric, operator of the nuclear plant crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, rebounded from yesterday’s record 28 percent plunge. Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) climbed 2.2 percent after the company said it will be able to announce earnings forecasts this week, boosting confidence that the world’s No. 1 carmaker is recovering from the quake. Camera-maker Canon Inc. (7751) sank 2.6 percent after the end of a share buyback program.
Most European stocks declined, with the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index trading near a 10-week low, as losses in retail shares offset gains in utility companies.
Tesco Plc (TSCO) and Home Retail Group Plc (HOME) fell as a report showed U.K. retail sales declined last month. Utilities posted the best performance among 19 industry groups in the Stoxx 600, gaining 1.2 percent. Mitchells & Butlers Plc (MAB) surged 3.8 percent following a report that a group of investors may bid for the pub and restaurant owner.
A report today showed factory orders in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, rebounded in April from a slump in March, led by stronger demand for investment goods. Orders, adjusted for seasonal swings and inflation, rose 2.8 percent from March, when they plunged a revised 2.7 percent, the Economy Ministry in Berlin said.
European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet yesterday gave his first signal endorsing measures to encourage investors to buy new Greek bonds to replace maturing securities as officials seek to stem the nation’s debt crisis.
U.S. stocks advanced after the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index’s valuation fell to the lowest level of the year and concern over Europe’s debt crisis eased.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) and Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) paced gains in financial companies, rallying at least 1.4 percent, after European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet signaled he may back Greek debt rollovers. Ford Motor Co. (F) added 0.7 percent as the automaker said global sales will rise 50 percent by 2015. Intel Corp. (INTC) rose 1.9 percent after Citigroup Inc. (C) said that a potential foundry relationship may be forming with Apple Inc. (AAPL)
The S&P 500 yesterday fell to the lowest level since March amid concern economic growth is slowing. Labor Department figures last week showed that payrolls grew at the slowest pace in eight months and the U.S. jobless rate unexpectedly climbed to 9.1 percent in May. A separate report last week showed that manufacturing expanded at the slowest pace in more than a year. Still, the S&P 500 rose 2.3 percent this year through yesterday.
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