Nippon Yusen KK

Leading Japanese shipping companies are in a race to develop ecological ships to help reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from maritime traffic, which accounts for more than 90 percent of international transport. Nippon Yusen KK is displaying at its museum in Yokohama a prototype of its Super Eco-Ship 2030 that would slash CO2 emissions by 69% compared with a conventional diesel ship, while rival Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd has publicized a design of a car carrier that would halve emissions while traveling ocean  

Japanese stocks are suffering from concerns of upcoming share offerings that would dilute the value of existing shares, but at least one leading analyst sees these fears as overblown.  

Nippon Yusen KK, Japan's biggest shipping company, said it would raise up to $1.6 billion through a public share offering to shore up its capital base as it hastens reforms to cope with a global shipping slump.  

Japan's Nikkei stock average lost 0.4 percent, weighed down by selling of smelters after non-ferrous metals prices fell, with concerns about consumer spending and Wall Street's performance leading to broad selling.  

Japanese shipping shares faced another rough day in Tokyo trading Friday, as capital-raising plans by Nippon Yusen K.K. and the hangover from recent earning downgrades in the sector kept investors away. The decline came despite a 5.5% jump Thursday in the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) -- a widely tracked measure of marine freight rates -- taking its rally into an 11th straight session. The highly volatile index has dropped as low as 663 and risen as high as 4,291 over the last year.

we think this huge number of scheduled deliveries will not be fully actualized over 2009-2011 as order cancellations and delays have been quite frequent, especially for speculative vessels.   -UOB

 

Japan's 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 0.7 percent Thursday as losses by shipping line Nippon Yusen K.K. following share issuance plans, sparked concerns in the industry.  

A flat to lower open is expected for Japan stocks on Friday, on the heels of Wall Street's decline overnight. the benchmark U.S. index fell after six straight gains, as energy consumption concerns weighed on the market.  

Stocks in the region staged a broad retreat on Thursday as Wall Street's choppy overnight performance offered little in the way of a lead.  

NYK said Thursday it would raise up to $1.58 billion through a public equity offering to strengthen its balance sheet as it hastens reforms to cope with a global shipping slump.  

Japan's Nikkei share average fell 0.7 percent with shipping firm Nippon Yusen falling on dilution worries related to its capital-raising plan, while Honda and other carmakers rose after a positive brokerage report.