TOKYO, May 26 (Reuters) – Japanese government bond futures
edged up on Wednesday to stand close to a two-year peak, but
struggled to keep gains as Tokyo shares firmed.

Still, underlying sentiment was supportive as worries
lingered over the euro zone debt crisis and the escalation in
tensions on the Korean peninsula. [ID:nSGE64O00O] [ID:nSGE64O03B]

TOKYO, May 25 (Reuters) – Japanese government bond futures
rose near a two-year high on Tuesday as they tracked Treasuries
higher and as Tokyo shares slid after Spain’s bailout of a small
bank bolstered concerns about Europe’s financial system.

The Bank of Spain took over the running of Spanish savings
bank CajaSur after its planned merger with another of the
country’s small lenders failed, weakening the euro and supporting
the dollar and Treasuries. [ID:nLDE64L007] [FRX/] [US/]

TOKYO, May 24 (Reuters) – Japanese government bond futures
slipped on Monday as investors took profits from a recent rally
to a two-year high, but falls were limited as the Nikkei share
average extended losses made last week.

JGBs were also pressured after U.S. Treasuries ended slightly
lower on Friday following volatile trade.[US/]

TOKYO, May 24 (Reuters) – Japanese government bond futures
slipped on Monday as investors took profits from a recent rally
to a two-year high, but falls were limited as the Nikkei share
average extended losses made last week.

JGBs were also pressured after U.S. Treasuries ended slightly
lower on Friday following volatile trade.[US/]

TOKYO, May 21 (Reuters) – Japanese government bond futures
hit a two-year high on Friday after worries about the euro zone
and a spike in global market volatility sent investors to the
perceived safety of debt.

But futures ran out of steam later as some market players
sold them to take profits from the rally in which the five-year
yield dropped to a five-year low earlier in the day.

TOKYO, May 20 (Reuters) – Japanese government bonds climbed
across the curve on Thursday after a 20-year sale drew
unexpectedly solid demand, with speculation that some appetite
may have come from foreign investors looking for respite from
turbulence in the euro zone.

JGB futures reached a 10-week high as Tokyo shares briefly
broke below a key psychological level.

TOKYO, May 19 (Reuters) – Germany’s decision to ban naked
short sales of euro-denominated government bonds is prompting
some Japanese brokers to avoid selling European debt during Asian
trading hours, market players said on Wednesday.

“For today the situation is that it’s hard for us to take
orders on European bonds,” said Yasutoshi Nagai, chief economist
at Daiwa Securities Capital Markets. “For clients looking to buy,
we are asking them to buy Treasuries,” he said.

TOKYO, May 19 (Reuters) – Japanese government futures climbed
to a 10-week high on Wednesday, boosted by gains in U.S.
Treasuries and a drop in Tokyo shares after worries about tighter
financial regulation dampened Wall Street.

JGB futures rose following Treasuries’ sharp gains, with
investors looking for a safe haven as they grew fearful that a
new chapter could unfold in the European debt crisis following
Germany’s move to ban naked short-selling of euro-denominated
government bonds, credit default swaps based on those bonds, and
some financial stocks. [ID:nN18512882]

TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) – Japanese government bond futures
fell on Tuesday as Tokyo shares rebounded from a 10-week closing
low marked the day before, while dealers pushed down bond prices
to help spur demand for a five-year bond auction later in the
day.

JGB futures were also hurt by falls in Treasuries on Monday
when U.S. stocks reversed losses to close higher. But falls in
JGBs were limited on worries that euro zone austerity measures
could stifle global growth.

TOKYO, May 14 (Reuters) – Japanese government bond futures
gained on Friday as Tokyo’s Nikkei share average fell and as
worries that new austerity measures in Europe will slow global
economic growth helped safe-haven bids.

Short-term players bought futures and medium-term notes, but
the yield on superlog bonds edged up amid the absence of buying
from Japan life insurers, a core investor in the maturities, and
dealers sold them to lighten inventory after a 40-year bond
auction the previous day.