Tokyo  - Japan's key Nikkei 225 Stock Aver

Tokyo - Toyota Motor Corp said Tuesday that its global sales in 2008 fell 4 per cent from the year before as consumption waned amid the global economic slowdown.

Despite the sales drop to 8.97 million cars, Japan's leading automaker said it still expected to become the world's top automaker by sales, overtaking General Motors Corp for the first time. In terms of global production, Toyota became the world's top auto producer in 2007.

Tokyo  - Japan's key Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell below 8,000 to end morning trading Tuesday as concerns over the European economy spread.

The Nikkei index dropped 257.83 points, or 3.12 per cent, to 7,999.02.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues was down 19.67 points, or 2.41 per cent, to 798.06.

On the currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar traded at 90.63-66 yen, up from Monday's 5 pm quote of 90.62-63 yen.

Tokyo - Japanese government on Monday revised the nation's industrial output for November downward to an 8.5-per-cent fall from an earlier reading.

Industrial output dropped 8.5 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms in November, compared to the previous month.

The revised figure was the sharpest decline since 1953, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Monday.

The index of output in mines and factories stood at 93.6 against 100 for the base year of 2005, the ministry said in a revised report.

Tokyo - Japan's key Nikkei 225 Stock Average ended slightly higher in a mixed day of trading Monday on the back of Wall Street's rise before the weekend and a weaker yen.

But the Tokyo market lost momentum in the afternoon session in a wait-and-see mood ahead of Tuesday's inauguration of Barack Obama as the US president.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average edged up 26.7 points, or 0.32 per cent, to close at 8,256.85.

But the broader Topix index of all First Section issues dipped 0.16 points, or 0.02 per cent, to 817.73.

Tokyo  - Stocks opened higher Monday on Wall Street's Friday rises and a weaker yen.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average went up 62.92 points, or 0.76 per cent, to 8,293.07.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues was up 3.04 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 820.93.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 91.19-24 yen, up from Friday's 5 pm quote of 90.29-32 yen. A weaker yen helps boost earnings of Japanese exporters and makes Japanese products cheaper overseas.