The market's interest in millennium-related stocks is also supporting such shares . Other sectors aren't looking that exciting at the moment.

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 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,

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.

The extent of the U.S. economic damage caused by Katrina is so unclear, and that could weigh on stocks there.

However, in spite of the general perception that monetary policy should be conducted so as to avert deflation, a central bank cannot lower interest rates below the zero lower bound.