By Paul Dobson Sterling slumped against all 16 of its most-traded peers, weakening against the euro to more than 91 pence for the first time since Dec. 4, amid speculation the European Union is nearing an agreement to help Greece manage its budget deficit. The yen dropped versus

March 1 (Bloomberg) -- The yen fell against higher-yielding currencies including Australia’s dollar after Japan’s government increased pressure on the central bank to expand monetary easing to fight deflation. The euro weakened for the first time in four days versus the dolla

Factory production rose 2.5 percent from a month earlier, the 11th straight gain, the Trade Ministry said today in Tokyo. The median estimate of 28 economists surveyed was for 1 percent. More than $2 trillion in global stimulus spending helped exports surge the most in almost 30 years in

Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Japan’s consumer prices fell for an 11th month in January, putting renewed pressure on policy makers to eradicate deflation that hampers the recovery. Prices excluding fresh food slid 1.3 percent from a year earlier, the same pace as December, the statistics bure

Prices excluding fresh food slid 1.3 percent from a year earlier, the same pace as December, the statistics bureau said today in Tokyo. The figure matched the median estimate of 29 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Hirohide Yamaguchi said this week that

Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Finance Minister Naoto Kan urged the Bank of Japan to keep implementing “appropriate and flexible policies” and work with the government to defeat deflation. Kan has been the most vocal among government officials in warning that falling prices may undermine

Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said the central bank stands ready to take “swift” action to stabilize markets when necessary. The governor’s remarks came hours after government reports showed industrial production rose and unemployment f

Canon Inc. , which gets 28 percent of its sales from the Americas, retreated 3.1 percent. Advantest Corp., the world’s largest maker of memory-chip testers, sank 7.4 percent after forecasting a wider-than-estimated annual loss. Nintendo Co., the world’s largest maker of video-game play

Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) -- The euro fell toward a nine-month low against the yen on speculation budget crises in Greece and Portugal will worsen, damping demand for riskier assets. The 16-nation currency was near the weakest level in more than six months against the dollar before a report today