Tokyo shares up by break as Deutsche Bank woes ease

Tokyo - Tokyo shares rebounded on Monday morning after overseas markets rallied on easing fears over Deutsche Bank's future, with investors shrugging off a weak Japanese business confidence report.

Deutsche Bank rebounded Friday after a source familiar with the matter told AFP that a US fine over toxic debt it sold would be only $5.4bn, not the $14bn originally demanded.

The source said an agreement could come in the next few days to settle US government charges that the bank knowingly sold high-risk mortgage securities ahead of the 2008 financial crisis.

"Investors were nervous about the uncertainty surrounding Deutsche Bank and the potential spill over effect on other European banks, but the mood is to take a wait-and-see approach for now," Yutaka Miura, a senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities, told Bloomberg News.

Tokyo investors are also waiting for key US economic data, including jobs figures, slated for release this week, he added.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained 183.53 points to 16 633.37 by the break, while the Topix index of all first section shares was up 13.50 points, at 1 336.28.

Investors shrugged off the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan report, which showed business confidence among the country's top manufacturers at its weakest level in more than three years.

That missed market forecasts for a slight improvement.

"The economy is weak and it's certainly not in a recovery mode," said Satoshi Osanai, senior economist at Daiwa Institute of Research.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group climbed 1.21% to ¥511.2, while Mizuho Financial Group rose 1.01% to ¥170.3.
Toyota added 0.76% to ¥5 823 and Sony was up 1.21% at ¥3 333.

In forex markets, the dollar traded ¥101.43, against ¥101.37 in New York late on Friday.