Tokyo’s markets were mixed on the session Monday.

The Nikkei 225 added 0.16 percent to 17,358.15, but the Topix index dropped 0.12 percent to 1,657.44 and the Mothers market was down 1.57 percent to 867.62.

Carmakers were lower after HSBC Holdings said that Toyota (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) will likely see profits weaken in the second half of its current fiscal year as the US economy slows down.

Toyota was 1.7 percent lower to ¥6,450, while Honda (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) dropped 2 percent to ¥3,930.

Miners were higher.

Nippon Mining (TYO: 5016), which has interests in oil, coal and non-ferrous metals, added 1.6 percent to ¥1,196, while Sumitomo Metal Mining (TYO: 5713) gained 2.3 percent to ¥2,915 and Mitsui Mining (TYO: 5706) was up 4.2 percent to ¥2,915.

In the semiconductors sector, chipmakers were lower but makers of equipment related to making and testing chips saw gains.

Rohm (TYO: 6963) was down 0.7 percent to ¥10,120 and Toshiba (TYO: 6502; LSE: TOS) dropped 1.6 percent to ¥1,036 after Nomura dropped its recommendation on the sector from “bullish” to “neutral”.

However Tokyo Electron (TYO: 8035) was up 2.9 percent to ¥7,510 while Advantest (TYO: 6857; NYSE: ATE) added 6.4 percent to ¥3,850.

Tokyo’s markets also saw gains.

The Nikkei 225 was up 1.19 percent to 17,046.78, ending the session above 17,000 for the first time in nearly two months.

The Topix index was 1.48 percent higher to 1,639.79, while the Mothers market of small and mid-caps added 2.83 percent to 756.29.

The gains came on advances in the banking sector after US bank Citigroup (NYSE: C) said that earnings will return to “normal” in the current quarter.

Also helping gains was a prediction by former US Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan that the credit slump could be over, and new data from the US signaled a possible further cut in interest rates.

Among banks, Mizuho (TYO: 8411; NYSE: MFG) added 2.6 percent to ¥661,000 while Sumitomo Mitsui (TYO: 8316) gained 3.9 percent to ¥915,000 and Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) was up 5.6 percent to ¥1,114.

Elsewhere, electronics giant Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) was 4.3 percent higher to ¥5,890 on Monday’s announcement that the initial public offering of its insurance division had brought in ¥320 billion as well as on the news that it will partner with the Qimonda unit of Infineon (FWB: IFX; NYSE: IFX) to develop DRAM chips for cameras and mobile phones.

Chipmaker Elpida (TYO: 6665) dropped 3.7 percent to ¥3,940 on concerns that it could lose market share to the new partnership.

On the other hand, companies that make chip-testing equipment saw gains.

Tokyo Electron (TYO: 8035) was 4.3 percent higher to ¥7,560 while Advantest (TYO: 6857; NYSE: ATE) added 5 percent to ¥3,750.

Equities markets were mixed in Tokyo on Thursday, with the real estate sector higher but the consumer finance and semiconductors sectors in decline.

The Nikkei 225 was 0.2 percent higher to 16,413.79, but the Topix index retreated slightly and was down 0.05 percent to 1,566.84.

The Mothers market of small and mid-caps also declined, falling 0.81 percent to 628.23.

The consumer finance sector was down substantially after UFJ Nicos (TYO: 8583) said that instead of a profit it would lose ¥100 billion this fiscal year.

Nicos, which is part of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU), was 13.4 percent lower to ¥241.

Elsewhere in the sector Aiful (TYO: 8515) dropped 11 percent to ¥1,732, while Acom (TYO: 8572) was down 7.8 percent to ¥2,560 and Promise (TYO: 8574) fell 4.5 percent to ¥2,655.

The semiconductors sector also saw declines after analysts at Dramexchange said that the price of computer memory will decline next quarter due to oversupply.

Chip-making equipment maker Advantest (TYO: 6857; NYSE: ATE) was 4.7 percent lower to ¥3,690, while Tokyo Electron (TYO: 8035) dropped 4.9 percent to ¥7,340.

The real estate sector was higher on a government report that said commercial land prices were higher in the year ending in June.

Mitsui Fudosan (TYO: 8801; NAS: MDSFF) gained 1.6 percent to ¥2,860, while Sumitomo Realty & Development (TYO: 8830) added 1.7 percent to ¥3,610.

Resisting the trend to gains in the Asia-Pacific region, Tokyo equities markets were lower on Wednesday.

The Nikkei 225 traded about even at 15,900.64, while the Topix index dropped 0.3 percent to 1,544.89 and the Mothers market fell 0.02 percent to 703.56.

Exporters were lower as it was announced that Japan’s trade surplus dropped in July for the first time in 9 months.

The surplus fell by 21.1 percent from a year earlier as exports grew by 11.7 percent but imports were up by 16.9 percent.

Optical glass maker Hoya (TYO: 7741; OTC: HOCP) dropped 1.5 percent to ¥3,890.

In the semiconductors sector, Advantest (TYO: 6857; NYSE: ATE) fell 0.9 percent to ¥4,220.

The automobile manufacturing sector was also hit by negative broker comment as Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) dropped its full-year profits forecast for several carmakers.

Toyota (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) was 0.5 percent lower to ¥6,550, while Honda Motor (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) fell 1.1 percent to ¥3,630 and Nissan was down 1.5 percent to ¥1,107.

Banks were lower on fears that losses in the subprime crisis, so far fairly muted there, could increase as well as on new data that showed bank lending up at its slowest rate in almost a year and a half in July.

Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) and Sumitomo Mitsui (TYO: 8316) each were 1.8 percent lower, to ¥1.08 million and ¥884,000 respectively, while Resona Holdings (TYO: 8308) dropped 3.4 percent to ¥229,000.

Gains came for companies that benefited from the news that crude oil prices were lower.

Japan Airlines (TYO: 9205) added 4.2 percent to ¥250.

Tokyo’s markets were higher on the session as the Nikkei 225 added 1.07 percent to 15,901.34 and the Topix index was up 1.73 percent to 1,549.88 after the Bank of Japan put another ¥800 billion into the system.

The Mothers index gained 1.23 percent to 703.72.

The steel sector, seen as a safer place for investors to put their money, was up on the day.

JFE (TYO: 5411) was 3.4 percent higher to ¥7,300, while Nippon Steel (TYO: 5401) gained 4.3 percent to ¥777.

Shippers were also higher, with Kawasaki Kisen (TYO: 9107) up 2.6 percent to ¥1,394 and Nippon Yusen (TYO: 9101) adding 3 percent to ¥1,065.

In the electronics sector, Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) added 1.3 percent to ¥5,280, but Matsushita Electric Industrial (TYO: 6572; NYSE: MC) was down 1.7 percent to ¥1,918.

In the semiconductors sector, chip-testing equipment maker Advantest (TYO: 6857; NYSE: ATE) was down 1.8 percent to ¥4,260 after it said that profits were 13 percent lower in its fiscal first quarter.

Equities markets in Tokyo were lower on Thursday.

The Nikkei 225 was 0.9 percent lower to 17,702.09 and the Topix index dropped 1 percent to 1,737.18, while the Mothers market was down 0.66 percent to 852.13.

Tokyo’s declines came as investors worried about the outcome of parliamentary elections scheduled for Sunday, where polls suggest that the ruling Liberal Democratic party could have a difficult time holding the Upper House.

Domestic sectors were particularly affected.

In the real estate sector, Mitsui Fudosan (TYO: 8801; NAS: MDSFF) dropped 1.9 percent to ¥3,160, while among retailers Seven & I (TYO: 3382) was 1.7 percent lower to ¥3,430.

In the semiconductors sector, Advantest (TYO: 6857; NYSE: ATE) dropped 5.2 percent to ¥4,920 after it said that net profits were down 13 percent in the most recent quarter.

Earnings reports helped games maker Nintendo (TYO: 7974; NAS: NTDOY; FWB: NTO), which upped its earnings guidance for the full year by 41 percent as it reported sharp profits in the quarter to June from its Wii games console.

Nintendo added 8.8 percent to ¥61,800.

A profits report also aided Nomura Holdings (TYO: 8604; NYSE: NMR; SGX; N33), which gained 6.6 percent to ¥2,260.

The Tokyo markets also saw significant gains on Friday as the Nikkei 226 added 1.42 percent to 18,238.95 and the Topix index gained 1.14 percent to 1,783.2.

The markets were aided by a recovery in the semiconductors sector that was spurred by comments from Korean chipmaker Samsung (KS: 005930) that chip prices will go up in the third quarter of the year.

It was also helped by a report from silicon wafer maker Shin-Etsu (TYO: 4063) that profits in its fiscal first quarter were up by 28 percent on strong sales.

Shin-Etsu added 3.9 percent to ¥9,500.

Tokyo Electron (TYO: 8035) was 3.2 percent higher to ¥9,090, while chip-testing equipment maker Advantest (TYO: 6857; NYSE: ATE) added 2.1 percent to ¥5,410 and Dainippon Screen Manufacturing, which makes equipment related to semiconductor manufacture, gained 2.3 percent to ¥943.

In the electronics sector, Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) was 0.9 percent higher to ¥6,410, while Matsushita Electric Industrial (TYO: 6572; NYSE: MC) added 1.3 percent to ¥2,360 and Nintendo (TYO: 7974; NAS: NTDOY; FWB: NTO) gained 1.5 percent to ¥50,400 on comments from the company’s president that its Wii games console could sell more than Sony’s PlayStation 2.

Decliners on the day included Fast Retailing (TYO: 9983). The clothing retailer was 2.7 percent lower to ¥8,000 on a third decline in its full-year guidance.

Japanese markets will be closed Monday for the Maritime Day Holiday.

Tokyo equities markets were lower on Thursday as the Nikkei 225 dropped 0.36 percent to 17,984.14 and the Topix index was 0.3 percent lower to 1,763.06.

The semiconductors sector was lower, with Tokyo Electron (TYO: 8035) down 2 percent to ¥8,810 after it said that orders were down significantly in the most recent quarter.

In addition, chip-testing equipment maker Advantest dropped 1.9 percent to ¥5,300.

Other declines came among restaurant operators after the announcement that McDonald’s Holdings Japan (TYO: 2702) will open 15 cafes during the summer.

The new cafes are expected to provide competition to Doutor Coffee (TYO: 9952), which dropped 3 percent to ¥2,090.

Nippon Restaurant System (TYO: 2775), getting ready to merge with Doutor, fell 3.3 percent to ¥3,530, but McDonald’s Japan added 0.1 percent to ¥2,000.

Carmakers were mixed on the session. Nissan Motor (TYO: 7201) was 1.5 percent higher to ¥1,324, while Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) dropped 0.4 percent to ¥7,630.

Sell-offs in the shipping sector prevented the Tokyo equities markets from advancing on Thursday. The Nikkei 225 closed even at 17,292.48, while the Topix index closed 0.5 percent lower to 1,720.18. The Nikkei was prevent from dropping mainly by export-focused sectors which saw gains due to weakness in the yen.

The shipping sector fell 5.1 percent as a whole on the session. The declines came after Nippon Yusen, the largest shipper in Japan, cut its prediction on operating profits for its fiscal year, which ends in March. Yusen fell 7.8 percent to ¥904. The news helped send Kawasaki Kisen 4.2 percent lower to ¥1,044 even though it raised its estimate on operating profits by ¥1 billion, to ¥61 billion. Mitsui OSK Lines dropped 3.5 percent to ¥1,225.

Among export-focused sectors, electrical machinery added 0.5 percent on the day, while transport equipment gained 0.3 percent. Advantest gained 2.2 percent to ¥5,570. Honda Motor was 1.7 percent higher to ¥4,710.

The telecommunications sector was higher. KDDI added 1.8 percent to ¥925,000 after it gained the most subscribers of any Japanese telecom in the latest figures released. NTT DoCoMo gained 4.4 percent to ¥215,000.

Chugai Pharmaceutical was 6.2 percent higher to ¥2,835 on a statement from Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche that it was thinking about raising its stake. Roche already owns half of Chugai. The drug maker was also helped by an upgrade from “hold” to “buy” from Nikko Citigroup.

Despite mixed earnings reports, the Tokyo equities markets were up Thursday. The Nikkei 225 added 0.8 percent to 17,519.50, while the Topix index gained 1 percent to 1,738.58.

The advances came even though scandal-ridden Nikko Cordial dropped a further 15.5 percent to ¥1,000 on investor concerns that it could be delisted in consequence of its accounting improprieties.

Electronics-related sectors were mixed. Consumer electronics manufacturers were higher. Sharp added 1.5 percent to ¥2,085 after it revealed that its operating profits were up 13 percent in the quarter. Sony was up 2 percent to ¥5,660 on an upgrade from “hold” to “buy” from Nikko Citigroup.

On the other hand, Tokyo Electron dropped 1.2 percent to ¥8,430 and Advantest was 2.8 percent lower to ¥5,870. These declines came after Fujitsu fell 5 percent to ¥860 on a disappointing quarterly report. It blamed its drop in profits on the price of microchips and hard drives, and said that it foresees further declines in the future.

Honda Motor was also lower on profits, as it reported that profits were below expectations and operating profits were steady in its fiscal third quarter. Honda’s 0.4 percent decline to ¥4,710 was an anomaly in an automobile manufacturing sector that added 0.4 percent on the session.