Asian markets mostly up

(Reuters) - "As long as the tankan doesn't deviate too sharply from forecasts, the market is likely to have a neutral reaction to it," said Yutaka Miura, senior technical analyst at Shinko Securities in Japan.

At 0047 GMT, Tokyo's Nikkei gained 0.6 percent, led by a 1.7 percent gain in leading firm Honda Motor Co. Ltd. .


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INSTANT VIEW 6-BOJ tankan shows optimism declines

(Reuters) - The headline diffusion index for big manufacturers' sentiment was at plus 23, slightly lower than a two-year-high reading of plus 25 in the December survey and falling short of the market's median forecast of plus 24.

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AT&T, America Movil seek Telecom Italia deal

(Reuters) - The moves come amid speculation over the future of the former state monopoly, which locked horns with the center-left government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi last year over its restructuring plans.

The offers value Telecom Italia shares held by Olimpia at 2.82 euros each, minus Olimpia's debt, AT&T said in a statement. The companies did not give a total value for their proposed investments. AT&T said Telecom Italia's market capitalization is about euro 40 billion .


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Japan govt to use FX reserves for overseas payments

(Reuters) - Overseas remittances in the 2005/06 fiscal year totalled about 570 billion yen , mainly for the salaries of government employees working abroad and military equipment costs.

The ministry announced the move late on Friday.


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FEATURE-Documents from 1992 coup show Chavez's path

(Reuters) - Chavez spent more than a decade conspiring with other leftist officers before leading the putsch in 1992, during which time he helped draft a set of decrees for a revolutionary government.

He has said he burned his copies of the documents just before his arrest for leading the attempt, but copies were published soon after.


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RPT-Wall St Week Ahead: U.S. data may propel stocks higher

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, April 1 - Investors are looking ahead to the coming week's economic data for signs that the U.S. economy is still on track to grow at a moderate pace.

A pair of reports from a private group will gauge the manufacturing and services sectors of the economy, while monthly payroll data comes out at the end of the week when the stock market will be closed in observance of the Good Friday holiday.


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Speed up creation of China FX body, economist says

(Reuters) - China should step up efforts to establish its promised foreign exchange investment agency in order to strengthen macroeconomic controls, a prominent government economist said on Sunday.

Xia Bin, director of the financial division of the Development Research Centre under the country's State Council, or cabinet, said China made the right decision to build a new agency to manage part of its $1.07 trillion in foreign exchange reserves.


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