The Bank of Japan will consider upgrading its view on the economy later this month in response to improved exports and output, sources said on Friday, as markets anxiously await U.S. jobs data that may offer fresh signs the recession is easing.
Muted gains in Asian shares underlined the tenuous nature of the scattered signs of recovery appearing in the global economy.
The BOJ's board is expected to discuss at a meeting on June 15-16 the possibility of changing its view, stated last month, that the economy is worsening, central bank sources told Reuters.
That sign of optimism, or at least less intense pessimism, will be tested at 1230 GMT, when U.S. non-farm payroll numbers are expected to show employers cut 520,000 jobs in May, down from 539,000 in April.
A much worse-than-expected figure could dampen expectations that the worst may be over for the global economy, hopes that have pushed stock markets from Seoul to London sharply higher since early March and weakened support for the dollar as a safe haven.
"If the numbers are better than expected, investors will get confirmation that the economy's really improving, but there's worry about what will happen if the figures are worse than consensus," said Yumi Nishimura, a deputy general manager of the investment advisory section at Daiwa Securities SMBC.
Asian shares, oil and higher-yielding currencies rose on Friday on hopes for improvement in the underlying economic outlook, but those gains were capped by nervousness about the U.S. payroll data.
The MSCI index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan rose 0.8 percent as of 0450 GMT, rebounding from a 1.9 percent fall on Thursday. The Nikkei was up 0.6 percent.
CORPORATE OUTLOOK DIVERGES
A less pessimistic outlook by the Bank of Japan would follow a cautiously upbeat message from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke this week, when he said the risk of a dangerous downward spiral had receded.
The European Central Bank (ECB) is taking a bleaker view. It slashed its economic forecasts on Thursday, unveiled a bond-buying plan and warned that the euro zone recession would last for another year.
However, the ECB kept euro zone interest rates on hold, as did the Bank of England and Bank of Canada.
Corporate news underlined firms' varying success at weathering the credit crunch.
Global miner Rio Tinto dumped plans for a $19.5 billion tie-up with China's Chinalco and agreed to set up an iron ore joint venture with rival BHP Billiton and sell new shares to slash its debt.
Japan's Canon Inc, the world's largest digital camera maker, revived plans to build a $180 million factory as demand holds firm for its high-end single-lens reflex cameras.
KB Financial Group, which runs South Korea's largest bank Kookmin, is seeking to raise $1 billion to $3 billion in new capital by around the third quarter, a banking source told Reuters.
KB had said it would pursue acquisitions after the third quarter once markets stabilised, looking to boost its corporate and investment banking presence.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp is aiming at a shake-up of Citigroup Inc's top management, including replacing Chief Executive Vikram Pandit, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter. (Writing by Jason Subler; Editing by Ken Wills and Alex Richardson)
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Europe Factors-Shares seen up; U.S. jobs data awaited
PARIS, June 5 (Reuters) – European equities were poised to gain ground on Friday, following the previous session's dip, as rising oil prices lend support to heavyweight energy shares, but the gains could be limited ahead of key U.S. monthly jobs data.
Mining giant Rio Tinto will be in the spotlight after it scrapped its proposed $19.5 billion tie-up with Chinese firm Chinalco on Friday and instead launched a heavily discounted $15.2 billion rights issue.
The world's second-largest iron ore producer also announced an agreement to combine its Australian iron ore mines with rival BHP Billiton.
Financial spreadbetters expected Britain's FTSE 100 to open 24 to 26 points higher, or as much as 0.6 percent, Germany's DAX to open 22 to 24 points higher, or as much as 0.5 percent, and France's CAC-40 to open 16 to 18 points higher, or as much as 0.5 percent.
