INSTANT VIEW: Clinton beats Obama in Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton's victory over Barack Obama in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night keeps her White House hopes alive and prolongs the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The following is reaction from analysts:

HIDEKI HAYASHI, CHIEF ECONOMIST, SHINKO SECURITIES

"Clinton's victory means the Democratic presidential race will be protracted as Obama is still the more likely winner in the end.

"The prolonged race will deepen uncertainties over who will be the Democratic presidential nominee and what kind of policies the party will likely take. That will be negative to U.S. stocks and the dollar.

"There are more jitters in financial markets now as people fear that surging oil prices could end a recent rise in U.S. shares. A victory by a candidate who is viewed as underdog certainly deepens uncertainties in markets, as well."

FRED DICKSON, MARKET STRATEGIST, D.A. DAVIDSON & CO IN LAKE

OSWEGO, OREGON:

"If one candidate or the other had won by a big margin there might have been some impact, but my guess is it is probably not going to have much of an impact (on the market)."

"Wall Street is probably right now so focused on earnings news and earnings guidance that the election politics in Pennsylvania are really taking a back seat."

"I think we hit fatigue five months ago regarding the election. ... I think Wall Street realizes the real party platforms aren't finally crafted until we get much closer to the election and the candidates from each party have to face each other in the debates"

GERRY CURTIS, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY JAPAN EXPERT:

"If this now drags on, I think the political leaders in Japan assume that this will strengthen the chances of (Arizona Sen. John) McCain winning in November no matter who the Democratic candidate ends up being. For conservatives in the LDP (Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party), that's seen as a good thing, but for the public as a whole and many politicians in the opposition and even in the LDP, there is considerable sentiment that a change with someone like Obama would strengthen America's image around the world, and in that sense, it would be good for Japan and good for Japan-U.S. relations."

DENNIS GOLDFORD, POLITICAL SCIENTIST, DRAKE UNIVERSITY, DES

MOINES, IOWA

"We may have one of these situations where he didn't beat her but she didn't trounce him and so we muddle along. For her to really rejuvenate her campaign she had to trounce him and we won't have a sharp, definitive result if she wins by just a couple of points. And that means the trench warfare continues onto Indiana and North Carolina."