TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei share average rose 1.1 percent on Tuesday, extending the previous session’s technical rebound as investors picked up cheaper stocks after last week’s sharp sell-off, triggered by concern over a deepening euro zone debt crisis.

The Nikkei .N225 closed up 95.40 points at 8,729.29, holding just below its five-day moving average of 8,730.45, as exporters gained a foothold on the steadying yen and investors picked up stocks that were heavily sold off last week.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei average rose on Monday, recovering from sharp falls in the previous session, as a call from world leaders for Greece to remain in the euro zone and for Europe to balance austerity with growth helped ease investor worries.

The Nikkei .N225 advanced 0.3 percent to 8,633.94 in the morning session after sliding 3 percent on Friday to log a seventh straight week of losses, its longest such run since the third quarter of 2001.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei average shed 3 percent on Friday to log a seventh straight week of losses, its longest such run since the third quarter of 2001, as investors sold stocks and other risky assets on concerns over slowing global growth and a deepening euro zone crisis.

The Nikkei fell 265.28 points to 8,611.31, taking its decline to 16 percent since hitting a one-year high on March 27. Should the benchmark extend losses next week, to around 8,200, it would technically enter a bear market.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei average fell on Wednesday as investors cut exposure to risky assets after the failure of Greek politicians to form a government raised the prospect leftists opposed to bailout terms could win new elections in June.

Gains in Japan’s top banks, after they forecast earnings above market expectations, lent support to the Japanese market.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei share average fell to a 3-1/2 month closing low on Tuesday, weighed down by exporters with exposure to Europe after Greece struggled to form a coalition government, increasing fears that it may have to leave the euro zone.

The Nikkei closed down 0.8 percent at 8,900.74, although it pulled back from the lowest intraday level since the beginning of February in the afternoon session, with traders suspecting the Bank of Japan of purchasing exchange-traded funds to support the market.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei share average inched higher on Monday to end a three-day losing streak as China’s monetary easing countered unease ahead of Greece’s last-ditch attempt to form a coalition government later in the day.

Gains in Kansai Electric Power Co (9503.T: Quote, Profile, Research), up 5.6 percent after a local town assembly agreed to support the restart of two offline nuclear reactors, also helped the index to stay in positive territory.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei share average inched higher on Monday as China’s monetary easing countered unease ahead of Greece’s last-ditch attempt to form a coalition government later in the day.

Gains in Kansai Electric Power Co (9503.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) also helped the index to stay in positive territory.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Shares in Sony Corp slumped more than 7 percent to near 32-year lows, as investors doubted the Japanese consumer electronics giant has a strategy to fix its loss-making TV business and compete in the smartphone market against Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics.

The last time Sony shares were this low, in the summer of 1980, its first Walkman portable cassette player had just gone on sale in the United States.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Shares in Sony Corp slumped more than 7 percent to near 32-year lows, as investors doubted the Japanese consumer electronics giant has a strategy to fix its loss-making TV business and compete in the smartphone market against Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics.

The last time Sony shares were this low, in the summer of 1980, its first Walkman portable cassette player had just gone on sale in the United States.

TOKYO (Reuters) – The Nikkei share average steadied on Friday ahead of industrial output data from China, Japan’s largest export market, while investors zoomed in on companies such as Nikon Corp (7731.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Hitachi Corp (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) after positive earnings results.

Many Japanese companies hurt by supply disruptions after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and floods in Thailand, have shown some improvement in their earnings outlooks during the current results season, helping the overall market.