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Asian shares fell broadly Wednesday, with markets in Tokyo, Seoul and Sydney all lower after another gloomy session on Wall Street that saw the Dow Jones industrial average notch its biggest five-day points fall ever. Japanese indexes fell more than 3 percent on Wednesday after U.S. stocks tumbled, while a firm yen also weighed on exporters. The benchmark Nikkei shed 3.2 percent to fall to 9,834.14. On Tuesday, it slid briefly below the 10,000 level and logged a five-year closing low at 10,155.90. ... In Sydney, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was down 175.5 points at 4,443.2, erasing Tuesday's 1.7...

LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar rose slightly in the first trading session of 2005 on Monday, gaining more than a cent from recent record lows against the euro as investor selling paused ahead of U.S. economic data this week. However, analysts said persistent imbalances in the U.S. economy will likely continue to weigh on the dollar in 2005 after pushing the euro up about 8 percent to record highs last year. Later on Monday, the U.S. Institute of Supply Management's manufacturing survey is due. A Reuters poll forecast the index for December would edge up to 58.1 from 57.8 in...

LONDON (Reuters) - The euro hit a record high against the yen on Thursday and remained within sight of this week's all-time peak versus the dollar as its bull run continued a thin market. The single currency rose above 141.60 yen in thin Tokyo trade, extending Wednesday's gains on technical moves and on concerns that Sunday's tsunami that has killed over 85,000 people around the Indian Ocean could hurt economic growth throughout Asia. "I think the tragic events that have occurred over the past few days in Southeast Asia may be having an impact on the yen," said Kamal Sharma,...

LONDON (Reuters) - The euro set a record high against the dollar for the fifth session running on Wednesday and tested last year's lifetime high against the yen as investors' bearish views of the U.S. currency dominated markets. Trading volumes were thin in the holiday period between Christmas and New Year. There was also little news to turn investors' focus away from their worries about the burden of the U.S. current account deficit on the dollar and about the ability of the U.S. economy to attract enough money to plug this shortfall. "The euro has been strong for a few...

LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar teetered within sight of the previous day's record low against the euro on Tuesday as the market remained confident central banks would not stand in the way of the greenback's decline. Mixed economic news from Japan had little market impact as traders remained fixated on the United States' huge current account deficit and the need for a weaker currency to correct it. The dollar is on track to notch up its third consecutive year of losses in 2004 and most analysts think its slide is not over yet. "There is a very strong consensus that...

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian stocks and currencies fell on Monday after tsunami waves triggered by the world's worst earthquake in 40 years killed nearly 15,000 people and wreaked havoc on tourist beaches. The yen touched an 18-month low against the euro, falling with emerging Asian currencies as traders tried to assess the economic fallout from the disaster. Shares in travel-related companies fell across the board as the region counted the cost of tsunamis that devastated areas of Sri Lanka, southeastern India, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Thai shares fell 1.5 percent to lead losses in Asia, weighed down by a 3.5...