Tokyo’s markets were higher as brokerages gained on the news that Citigroup (NYSE: C) has said it will buy out minority shareholders in Nikko Cordial (TYO: 8603; SGX: N06).

Citigroup already owns 68 percent of the brokerage.

The Nikkei 225 added 0.9 percent to 17,199.89, while the Topix index gained 1.48 percent to 1,664.01 and the Mothers market jumped 5.03 percent to 794.35.

The announcement from Citigroup sent Nikko’s shares up by the daily limit of 13.7 percent to ¥1,662.

Elsewhere in the sector, Nomura Holdings (TYO: 8604; NYSE: NMR; SGX: N33) was 4 percent higher to ¥3,090 while Daiwa Securities (TYO: 8601) gained 5.8 percent to ¥1,178.

Banks were also higher.

Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) was up 4 percent to ¥1,158 and Mizuho added 4.5 percent to ¥691,000.

Elsewhere, steel maker JFE (TYO: 5411) was 3.1 percent higher to ¥8,370 on the announcement that it will raise prices on steel plate by 15 percent as well as on the news that it will partner with Toshiba (TYO: 6502; LSE: TOS) to design and manufacture small and medium-sized steam turbines for power plants.

Toshiba gained 2.4 percent to ¥1,091 on the news.

In the electronics sector, Nintendo (TYO: 7974; NAS: NTDOY; FWB: NTO) added 2.7 percent to ¥1,700 but Matsushita Electric Industrial (TYO: 6752) dropped 2.5 percent to ¥2,125 after production at one of its battery factories was shut down due to a fire.

Tokyo’s markets were higher on Thursday, as the Nikkei 225 had its highest close in a month and a half with a gain of 2.41 percent to 16,832.22.

The Topix index added 2.48 percent to 1,615.15 while the Mothers market was 5.52 percent higher to 720.5.

Banks were higher on rumors that investor Warren Buffett is looking to buy a stake in Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC), boosting investor confidence that the subprime crisis will not cripple the financial services sector.

Among banks, Mizuho (TYO: 8411; NYSE: MFG) was up 4.78 percent to ¥658,000, while Resona Holdings (TYO: 8308) added 6.9 percent to ¥190,000.

Sumitomo Mitsui (TYO: 8316) gained 7 percent to ¥891,000. Regional bank Suruga Bank Ltd (TYO: 8358) was up 11 percent to ¥1,402 after it said it is talking to Japan Post about a deal.

Brokers were also higher, with Nomura Holdings (TYO: 8604; NYSE: NMR; SGX: N33) closing at ¥1,938 and Daiwa Securities (TYO: 8601) adding 8.6 percent to ¥1,114.

The consumer finance sector also saw gains after Takefuji (TYO: 8564) was reported to be preparing results showing that it will cross over into profit this year after losing ¥481.2 billion last year.

Takefuji was 16 percent higher to ¥2,155 after gaining the full amount allowed by the exchange in a session, while Aiful (TYO: 8515) and Promise (TYO: 8574) each gained 15 percent, to ¥1,909 and ¥2,850 respectively.

In the real estate sector, Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) raised its recommendations on both Mitsui Fudosan (TYO: 8801; NAS: MDSFF) and Sumitomo Realty & Development (TYO: 8830) from “hold” to “buy”.

Mitsui Fudosan was 7.7 percent higher to ¥3,210, while Sumitomo was up 7.9 percent to ¥4,090.

Elsewhere, Japan Tobacco (TYO: 2914) added 4.5 percent to ¥634,000 on a report out of London that it will bid on Turkey’s state-owned cigarette maker, Tekel.

The Tokyo markets moved little on Tuesday, with the Nikkei 225 just about even at 18,149.90 and the Topix managed a gain of 0.1 percent to 1,781.86.

Exporters did better in Tokyo than domestically-focused sectors were able to manage. Retailers saw declines, with Aeon (TYO: 8267) 0.2 percent lower to ¥2,285.

One exception among the general decline in domestic shares was Daiwa Securities Group (TYO: 8601, which added 3.8 percent to ¥1,352 after Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) upgraded the broker from “sell” to “neutral”.

Among export-focused gainers, Honda Motor (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) added 0.7 percent to ¥4,570, while construction equipment manufacturer Komatsu (TYO: 6301) gained 1.4 percent to close at ¥3,690.

The electronics sector was mixed, however. While Nintendo added 2.1 percent to ¥46,700 on domestic sales of its Wii game console, the news that it far outsold Sony’s (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) PS3 sent Sony’s shares 1.9 percent lower to ¥6,190.

The Tokyo equities markets were much lower on Wednesday. The Nikkei 225 dropped 515 points, or 2.85 percent, to close at 17,604, while the Topix index fell 3.23 percent to 1,752.74. At one point during the session, every stock listed on the Nikkei was in negative territory, but a few were able to make it back into positive figures by the end of the day.

Trade was suspended on the Topix index for 15 minutes early in the session when the index fell 70 points in a short period of time, triggering its “safety valve” in the event of a sudden, substantial decline. There was also a warning that if the Topix fell by 100 points below the previous close, another safety device would trigger and suspect arbitrage trading in all First Section shares. That step never had to be taken. Still, declines were sharp enough that chief cabinet secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said that the government was monitoring the market closely, although assurances were made that Japan’s economy was still sound.

Nikko Cordial (TYO: 8603; SGX: N06) was hurt by news reports that the Tokyo Stock Exchange was in the final stages of preparing to delist it after its recent scandals. The broker’s shares fell 14.85 percent in consequence of the rumors. Elsewhere in the securities sector, Daiwa Securities (TYO: 8601) were 5.3 percent lower to ¥1,501, while Nomura Holdings (TYO: 8604; SGX: N33; NYSE: NMR) fell 5.33 percent, to ¥2,575.

Kobe Steel (TYO: 5406) was just one of many miners and heavy industries that fell on the session, dropping 4.23 percent to ¥4.76.

Nippon Meat Packers (TYO: 2282) was one of the two companies listed on the Nikkei to end the session higher. It added 3.78 percent to ¥1,481.

Equities markets in Tokyo were up on Monday, with the Nikkei 225 adding 0.9 percent to 17,209.92 and the Topix index ending 1.1 percent higher to 1,704.58. The Topix was helped by new data showing that core machinery orders in the private sector were up 3.8 percent in November. The new numbers helped not only the construction machinery sector but also the banking sector, as the data raised the chances that the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates when it meets later this week.

The banking sector was 2 percent higher as a whole, with Mitsubishi UF up 1.3 percent to ¥1,530,000. Sumitomo Trust & Banking added 2.8 percent to ¥1,325, while SMFG gained 3.3 percent to ¥1,270,000.

The news that Shinko Securities and Mizuho Securities will merge promoted more consolidation speculation in the securities sector, which added 2.7 percent on the session. Daiwa Securities was 3.4 percent higher to ¥1,394. Meanwhile, Nikko Cordial gained 3.3 percent to ¥1,309 after it was learned that Canadian investment management firm Mackenzie Financial has become its largest shareholder.

In the construction machinery sector, Fanuc added 1.5 percent to ¥11,350, while Komatsu was up 1.7 percent to ¥2,365.

Among export-focused stocks, Sharp was 0.4 percent higher to ¥1,992, while Honda gained 1.7 percent to ¥4,690.

After a new Tankan report on business sentiment from the Bank of Japan came out about as expected, the Tokyo equities markets were up on Friday. The Nikkei 225 added 0.5 percent to 16,914.31, while the Topix index gained 0.3 percent to 1,657.40. Even though the Tankan figures were seen as positive, analysts are still convinced that the Bank will decline to raise interest rates when it meets next week.

In the tobacco sector, Japan Tobacco was 3.1 percent higher to ¥597,000 after it said it is talking to UK company Gallaher about a purchase.

The electronics sector added 0.5 percent as a whole, and Sony gained 1.6 percent to ¥5,050.

Domestically, the retail sector was up 0.4 percent, while Japan’s largest retailer, Aeon, was 1 percent higher to ¥2,575.

The securities sector also saw gains. Nomura Holdings added 1.2 percent to ¥2,165, while Daiwa Securities Group was up 1.4 percent to ¥1,336.

Transport sectors were driven lower by an increase in crude oil prices. Domestic airline All Nippon Airways dropped 0.9 percent to ¥433. Among shippers, Mitsui OSK was 0.5 percent lower to ¥1,110 and Nippon Yusen fell 1.1 percent to ¥847.

The rise in oil prices was good news for Inpex, however, which added 2.1 percent on the session to ¥1,010,000.

The Nikkei 225 closed at 16,371.28 on Wednesday, a gain of 0.7 percent on the session and its highest close in a month. The Topix index was also higher, ending 1 percent higher to 1,615.17. Meanwhile, the Mothers index of small and mid-cap stocks was 1 percent higher to 1,116.51. The gains were largely on advances in domestic sectors.

The securities sector was 1.7 percent higher as a whole, helped by gains in stocks that have brokers convinced that individual investors will come back to the market. Nomura Holdings and Nikko Cordial each matched the sector by adding 1.7 percent on the session, to ¥2,080 and ¥1,477 respectively. Daiwa Securities gained 2.3 percent to ¥1,335.

Real estate also did well, with the sector adding 1.5 percent. Sumitomo Realty & Development was 1.6 percent higher to ¥3,790. Mitsui Fudosan added 1.8 percent to ¥2,835, bringing its gains since the middle of June to over 30 percent.

Electricity generators were up substantially. Tohoku Electric Power gained 2.3 percent to ¥2,845, while Kyushu Electric Power was 3 percent higher to ¥3,050 and Kansai Electric Power added 3.3 percent to ¥3,120.

The consumer finance sector was still on the rise. Jaccs gained 2.2 percent to ¥827, Takefuji added 2.6 percent to ¥4,770, Credit Saison was up 3.4 percent to ¥4,260, and Promise was 3.9 percent higher to ¥4,000.

New data on the growth of the US economy helped the Tokyo equities markets to gains on Thursday. Both export-focused and domestic stocks benefited. The Nikkei 225 added 1.2 percent to 16,274.33, while the Topix index gained 1.5 percent to 1,603.03. The Mothers index of small and mid-cap stocks did ever better, ending 2.5 percent higher to 1,152.81.

Domestically, the securities and consumer finance sectors were higher. Consumer finance companies, which have had a bad year as the government made attempts to limit how much interest they can charge customers on loans, saw especially large gains. Credit Saison gained 6.5 percent to ¥4,080, while Takefuji added 9.7 percent to ¥4,630 and Aiful jumped 10.8 percent to ¥3,700.

The securities sector was 3.6 percent higher as a whole. Daiwa Securities was 3 percent higher to ¥1,327, while Nomura Holdings added 3.8 percent to ¥2,030 and Nikko Cordial gained 3.9 percent to ¥1,430.

With crude oil prices still rising, upstream oil company Inpex was 1.6 percent higher to ¥997,000.

Automobile manufacturers also managed advances. Toyota added 1.3 percent to ¥7,020, while Honda Motor gained 2.2 percent to ¥4,100. Meanwhile, construction machinery manufacturer Komatsu was 2.7 percent higher to ¥2,105.

Data showing that factory output in Japan was up a seasonally-adjusted 1.6 percent in October sent the Tokyo equities markets higher on Wednesday. The Nikkei 225 went back over the 16,000 mark, ending the session 1.4 percent higher to 16,076.20. The Topix index added 1.6 percent to 1,580.10. The best factory performance came in the automobile manufacturing and semiconductors sectors, both of which saw gains on the session.

In the semiconductors sector, Advantest gained 1.5 percent to ¥6,060, while Elpida Memory was 3 percent higher to ¥5,550. Meanwhile among carmakers, Nissan Motor was up 0.7 percent to ¥1,299 and Toyota added 1.5 percent to ¥6,930.

The securities sector also saw gains. Nomura Holdings gained 3.7 percent to ¥1,955, while Daiwa Securities added 4.4 percent to ¥1,288. Banks did well, too, with larger banks seeing bigger gains than smaller ones could manage. Sapporo Hokuyo, based in Hokkaido, was up 0.9 percent to ¥1,110,000, while Bank of Fukuoka, which has its center of operations in Kyushu, gained 1.1 percent to ¥856. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi UFJ was 2.1 percent higher to ¥1,450,000.

The transport sector was up after Credit Suisse hiked target share prices there. Nippon Yusen gained 2.9 percent to ¥804, while Kawasaki Kisen was up 3.1 percent to ¥828 and Mitsui OSK added 5 percent to ¥1,046.

Weakness in the consumer finance and securities sectors sent the Tokyo equities markets lower on Wednesday. The Nikkei 225 dropped 0.5 percent to 16,699.30, while the Topix index fell 0.6 percent to 1,653.38. There were losses in a number of other sectors as well.

In the telecommunications sector, NTT DoCoMo was down 2.2 percent to ¥180,000. Softbank dropped 2.5 percent to ¥2,590. The declines came as investors were wary of a possible price war among mobile phone carriers. KDDI, on the other hand, added 1 percent to ¥735,000 after declines on Tuesday.

The electronics sector saw declines as well, with NEC 6 percent lower to ¥639 on the announcement that it will abandon US accounting standards and use Japanese rules, which are less demanding, instead. The move came after it did not file its report for the quarter ending in March on time with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Consumer finance companies were hurt when Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party dropped a plan that would have let the lenders charge more than the maximum allowable interest on some loans. Acom dropped 4.9 percent to ¥4,490, while Takefuji fell 5 percent to ¥4,520 and Aiful was 7.2 percent lower to ¥4,140.

The securities sector was 3.2 percent lower as a whole, with Nomura dropping 2.5 percent to ¥2,165 as investors worried about what its quarterly report would reveal. Their fears were borne out when the securities house’s report showed that profits were down by 28.5 percent in its second quarter. Daiwa Securities, meanwhile, fell 4.1 percent to ¥1,381.