Summary for Thursday, August 16
* Nikkei 225 Stock Average: -327.12 (-2.0%) to 16,148.49; lowest close since Nov. 29, 2006; down by more than 600 intra-day (below 16,000)
* Nikkei 225 futures Osaka: -350 (-2.1%) to 16,050, Singapore (SGX) 16,040, Chicago (CME) 8/15 — 16,275
* TOPIX: -26.69 (-1.7%) to 1,567.46; Advancers 206 x decliners 1,469 (unch. 51), New highs 1 [MUTOH (7999)] x New lows 685; 4/33 sectors posted gains
* Jasdaq: -1.16 (-1.6%) to 72.36
* Yen jumps more than 2% against US$ and nearly 3% against euro by late trading; yen carry trade unwinding momentum building
* Mitsubishi UFJ FG (JP: 8306) (MTU) gained 2.8% to Y1.11M (intra-day low of Y1.02M), Mitsui Sumitomo FG (JP: 8316) lost 0.33% to Y917,000 (intra-day low of Y841,000) — both of these mega banks reported current subprime related paper losses, providing some investors some assurance Japanese banks won’t be getting wiped out like some banks’ funds in the U.S., Europe and Australia; Mizuho FG (JP: 8411) (MFG) lost 1.5% to Y666,000 (intra-day low of Y621,000) — previously announced limited subprime related losses, saying it had mostly liquidated its positions.