The Nikkei 225 was playing catch up..........>

STOCKS: The Nikkei 225 was playing catch up following yesterday's holiday and

managed to lodge gains of 0.5%, even as the USDJPY fell by around 40 pips.

Energy names predictably led the way following 2 strong sessions for oil prices,

while financials lagged.

- Chinese related indices fell, with the CSI 300 down 1.1% & the Hang Seng

-0.6%. IT lagged in Hong Kong, with heavyweight Tencent dragging following a

disappointing earnings release, whereas banks garnered support in front of

earnings. Energy names outperformed.

- Australia's ASX 200 shed 0.25% as telecoms & IT led the decline, with energy &

materials trading higher.

- US equity index futures were virtually flat.