TOKYO, March 13 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average was set for its third consecutive day of declines on Wednesday, as investors assessed the likelihood of a policy shift at the upcoming Bank of Japan monetary policy meeting. The Nikkei was down 0.42% at 38,636.12 by the midday break, retreating after briefly surpassing the psychologically significant 39,000 level. The broader...

TOKYO, March 13 (Reuters) - The longest-dated Japanese government bond (JGB) yields fell on Wednesday ahead of an auction of 20-year securities the following day. Overall, though, the market was quiet as investors weighed the odds of an exit from ultra-easy stimulus at the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) meeting next week. The BOJ will likely offer numerical guidance on how...

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Tom Westbrook Big Japanese companies have agreed in full to union pay demands, a sign that workers could perhaps have pushed a bit harder, but also that wage momentum could encourage a historic policy shift by the Bank of Japan. While hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation - and the risk...

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Tom Westbrook Big Japanese companies have agreed in full to union pay demands, a sign that workers could perhaps have pushed a bit harder, but also that wage momentum could encourage a historic policy shift by the Bank of Japan. While hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation - and the risk...