Japan Hot Stocks-Promise, Japan Steel Works, Nintendo

TOKYO, April 17 (Reuters) - The benchmark Nikkei average
<.N225> rose 1.5 percent and the broader TOPIX <.TOPX> was 1.4
percent higher as of 0522 GMT on Friday.
The following stocks were on the move:

**PROMISE <8574.T> FALLS FURTHER AFTER REPORT OF $1 BLN LOSS**
Shares of Japanese consumer lender Promise extended falls
after the Nikkei newspaper said the firm is likely to book an
annual net loss of more than 100 billion yen ($1 billion).
Consumer lenders have been hit hard by regulations lowering
their maximum interest rates and court rulings that have forced
them to return interest charges now considered excessively high.
[nTFA004339]
Promise fell 2.9 percent to 1,560 yen, after earlier falling
as low as 1,533 yen.
0522 GMT

**JAPAN STEEL WORKS, OTHERS GAIN AFTER REPORT OF GOVT HELP**
Japan Steel Works <5631.T>, a major supplier of components
for nuclear reactors, and its peers gained after the Nikkei
business daily said the Japanese government plans to boost its
assistance for the country's nuclear power-related companies
seeking to expand into overseas markets.
Shares of Japan Steel Works jumped 4.4 percent to 1,006 yen,
while Kimura Chemical Plants <6378.T> surged 6.3 percent to 808
yen.
0511 GMT

**NINTENDO <7974.OS> DOWN ON WII SALES DECLINE IN U.S.**
Nintendo Co Ltd fell 6.2 percent to 26,300 yen after research
group NPD said Nintendo's Wii game console sold 601,000 units in
the United States in March, down 17 percent from a year earlier,
stoking investor worries about a slowdown in demand for the
top-selling game machine.
Nintendo said the comparsion could be misleading as Wii
demand was boosted in March 2008 by the launch of the blockbuster
software title "Super Smash Bros. Brawl."
The U.S. sales figure for the Wii last month was still far
ahead of the 330,000 Xbox 360s sold by Microsoft Corp
and the 218,000 units of the Playstation 3 that were shifted by
Sony Corp <6758.T>, NPD said.
0455 GMT

**TRAINMAKER STOCKS JUMP ON OBAMA PUSH FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL**
Manufacturers trains of jumped after President Barack Obama
said the United States will seek to develop high-speed rail
nationally, emphasising a broader commitment to U.S.
infrastructure investment and transport other than cars.
[nN16196343]
Kawasaki Heavy Industries <7012.T>, which makes trains for
the New York subway, advanced 5.3 percent to 219 yen.
Nippon Sharyo Ltd <7102.T> shot up 5.7 percent to 374 yen and
Kinki Sharyo <7122.T> climbed 4.9 percent to 493 yen.
0426 GMT

**STEEL SHARES SURGE AFTER NEWS ON SMALLER PRICE CUTS**
Nippon Steel Corp <5401.T> and other steelmaker shares
climbed after a newspaper report on Friday that it and other
steel companies had agreed with Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> on a
smaller than expected price cut this year. [nT286976]
Nippon Steel jumped 8.3 percent to 339 yen and JFE Holdings
<5411.T> rose 8.5 percent to 2,930 yen. Kobe Steel <5406.T>
climbed 6.2 percent to 172 yen.
0110 GMT

**PHARMACEUTICALS, OTHER DEFENSIVES DOWN AS HOPE GROWS**
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd <4519.T> and other defensive
shares, edged down as positive sentiment towards the global
economy swelled amid signs the U.S. banking sector may be
stabilising.
Chugai Pharmaceutical slipped 1.4 percent to 1,732 yen while
Astellas Pharma Inc <4503.T> lost 0.3 percent to 3,220 yen and
Eisai Corp <4523.T> fell 1 percent to 2,880 yen.
Seasonings maker Ajinomoto <2802.T> lost 0.1 percent, while
toiletries maker Kao Corp <4452.T> was flat at 2,100 yen.
0052 GMT

**TOSHIBA CORP <6502.T> CLIMBS AFTER REPORT OF SMALLER LOSS**
Toshiba climbed 3.5 percent to 329 yen after the Nikkei
business daily said the company likely sustained an operating
loss of around 250 billion yen ($2.5 billion) for the year that
ended last month, compared with its current estimate of a 280
billion yen loss, as chip prices stabilised. [nT303363]
0045 GMT

**BANKS RISE AFTER U.S. RESULTS REASSURE ON SECTOR**
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group <8306.T> and other banks rose
after reassuring results from JP Morgan fuelled hopes
that the U.S. banking sector is stabilising. [nN16542451]
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Japan's biggest bank, rose
1.6 percent to 513 yen and No. 2 bank Mizuho Financial Group
<8411.T> rose 1 percent to 194 yen. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial
Group <8316.T> gained 1.9 percent to 2,985 yen.
0030 GMT

(Reporting by Elaine Lies)
((elaine.lies@thomsonreuters.com; +81 3 6441 1807; Reuters
Messaging:elaine.lies.reuters.com@reuters.net))

((Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for:
* 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com
* BridgeStation: view story .134
* Reuters Plus: from your WebDSS screen For more information on
Top News, visit http://topnews.reuters.com))
Keywords: MARKETS JAPAN STOCKS HOT

(C) Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of
Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly
prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters
sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of
companies around the world.

nT307201
.T JP/HOT