Steel and banks had risen without a recess recently. That's apparently overdone.

We had rises in large-cap electronics stocks on one hand and falls in bank shares on the other. That kept the Nikkei from moving either up or down.

The outcome was pretty much in line with what the market had expected, and failed to brush off worries over a possible slowdown in corporate earnings and Japan's economic growth.

The outcome was pretty much in line with what the market had expected, and failed to brush off worries over a possible slowdown in corporate earnings and Japan's economic growth,

Generally, a weaker yen is healthy for exporters and the economy. But the stock market doesn't have much else going for it,

Just as things get overdone on the upside, they can get overdone on the downside.