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• GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks tumble on weak China PMI, Fed policy plan Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 10:44 PM ET

  *MSCI Asia ex- Japan slides 2.8 pct to 9- month low. "The Chinese data confirms views that the economy is vulnerable and could heighten the possibility of some policy action to ease investor jitters," said Hirokazu Yuihama, a senior strategist at Daiwa Securities in Tokyo.

• UPDATE 2-Sony pressed for response on spin-off plan at shareholder meet Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 10:34 PM ET

  *Hirai says Sony's board will consider Third Point's proposal carefully. TOKYO, June 20- Sony Corp shareholders pressed its chief executive on Thursday for a response to a proposal by hedge fund Third Point to spin off its profitable entertainment business, aiming to invigorate its struggling electronics business.

• JGBs slip, tracking U.S. Treasuries after Fed signals less bond buying Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 10:20 PM ET

  TOKYO, June 20- Japanese government bond prices eased slightly on Thursday, tracking weakness in U.S. However, it was a far cry from a record low of 0.315 percent reached the day after the Bank of Japan announced sweeping stimulus measures on April 4 to pull the country out of deflation.

• UPDATE 1-China June flash HSBC PMI hits 9-month low on weak demand Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 10:11 PM ET

  BEIJING, June 20- China's factory activity weakened to a nine-month low in June as demand faltered, a preliminary survey showed, heightening risks that a second quarter slowdown could be sharper than expected and raising the heat on the central bank to loosen policy.

• Nikkei falls on U.S. stimulus withdrawal fears; GS Yuasa soars Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 9:34 PM ET

  Real estate stocks were battered, with Mitsui Fudosan Co falling 2.4 percent, Mitsubishi Estate Co shedding 1.5 percent and Sumitomo Realty& Development tumbling 3.8 percent. But the yen's weakness limited losses, lifting some exporters, with Toshiba Corp gaining 1.3 percent, Mazda Motor Corp rising 3.0 percent and Sony Corp adding 0.7 percent.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks fall on Fed policy plan, China data looms Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 9:28 PM ET

  *MSCI Asia ex- Japan slips 1.7 pct, Nikkei down 0.6 pct. Sentiment was also fragile ahead of an HSBC "flash" report on China's factory activity, due at 0145 GMT, which could provide fresh evidence of weakness in Asia's largest economy.

• Hong Kong shares set to fall after Bernanke comments, ahead of China flash PMI Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 9:04 PM ET

  HONG KONG, June 20- Hong Kong shares could plumb fresh 2013 lows on Thursday, with interest rate-sensitive counters seen under pressure after U.S. Investors will also be watching the June HSBC manufacturing flash purchasing managers' index for China, due at 0145 GMT.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks fall on Bernanke comments, China data eyed Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 8:33 PM ET

  *MSCI Asia ex- Japan slips 1.2 pct, Nikkei opens down 1.1 pct. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slid 1.2 percent, with Australian shares easing 0.4 percent and South Korean shares opening down 1.3 percent.

• PRECIOUS-Gold falls to 1-month low on Fed stimulus outlook Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 8:28 PM ET

  SINGAPORE, June 20- Gold fell for a fourth straight session on Thursday to its lowest in a month after the Federal Reserve said the U.S. economy was recovering strongly enough for the central bank to slow the pace of bond purchases later this year. *Spot gold fell 0.4 percent to $1,344.9 an ounce by 0013 GMT, after falling 1.2 percent on Wednesday.

• UPDATE 1-Japan manufacturers' mood best since March 2011 -Reuters Tankan Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 8:18 PM ET

  TOKYO, June 20- Japanese manufacturers' mood improved further in June and its gauge reached its highest level in more than two years, a Reuters poll showed, a sign the government's reflationary policies are continuing to bolster business morale despite recent market turmoil.

• Nikkei falls as Fed signals possible roll back of stimulus Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 8:09 PM ET

  TOKYO, June 20- Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Thursday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke confirmed market fears that the U.S. central bank could trim its bond buying programme later this year.

• Japan manufacturers' mood best since March 2011 -Reuters Tankan Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 7:30 PM ET

  By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Izumi Nakagawa. TOKYO, June 20- Japanese manufacturers' mood improved further in June and its gauge reached its highest level in more than two years, a Reuters poll showed, a sign government's reflationary policies keep bolstering business morale despite recent market turmoil.

• Nikkei expected to edge down on Fed's stimulus signals Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 7:29 PM ET

  TOKYO, June 20- Japan's Nikkei share average is expected to lose ground on Thursday after U.S.

• UPDATE 1-Sony spin-off plan off agenda but looms over shareholder meet Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 7:22 PM ET

  TOKYO, June 20- A proposal by Sony Corp's top investor to partially spin off the Japanese company's lucrative entertainment business will be the elephant in the room at an annual shareholders meeting on Thursday.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks brace for fall, China data eyed Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 6:41 PM ET

  SYDNEY, June 20- Asian stock markets were braced for a fall on Thursday in line with Wall Street after the U.S. central bank confirmed that it would begin to withdraw stimulus this year if the economy continued to recover as it expected.

• US STOCKS-Wall St drops after Bernanke hints at slowing stimulus Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 5:43 PM ET

  *Shares tumble after Fed chief signals stimulus could be pared back. *Adobe, FedEx rise after results; Sprint tumbles. NEW YORK, June 19- U.S. stocks fell more than 1 percent on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank would start to reduce its stimulus measures later this year if the economy is strong enough.

• UPDATE 3-New Bank of Canada chief signals hands-off stance Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 5:14 PM ET

  BURLINGTON, Ontario, June 19- Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz signaled a hands-off approach to monetary policy on Wednesday, calling for patience, at least for now, in "letting Mother Nature do her usual job" in rebuilding an economy he said was still damaged.

• NuVasive rises as analyst looks to profit margins Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 4:48 PM ET

  NEW YORK-- NuVasive Inc. shares traded higher Wednesday after a Canaccord Genuity analyst raised his price target on the spinal device maker's stock, saying he expects NuVasive to report stronger profit margins starting in 2015.. THE SPARK: Analyst William Plovanic rates NuVasive shares "Buy" and raised his target to $29 per share from $24.50.

• US STOCKS-Wall St slumps after Bernanke hints at slowing bond buying Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 4:35 PM ET

  *Shares tumble after Fed chief signals stimulus could be pared back. *Adobe, FedEx rise after results; Sprint tumbles. NEW YORK, June 19- U.S. stocks fell more than 1 percent on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank would start to reduce its stimulus measures later this year if the economy is strong enough.

• UPDATE 1-Japan's Abe: fully prepared to restart talks with China Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 3:34 PM ET

  *Abe says door to dialogue with China open. LONDON, June 19- Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought on Wednesday to repair some of the damage a row over disputed islands has done to its relationship with China, and said his country needed to prove his stimulus drive would not end in a debt crisis.