51.   To be sure, not all were pessimistic about investing in Japanese equities.

52.   Those investors have seen interest rates and the yen plummet, and mediocre performance from Japanese equities.

53.   Traders and investors are looking to U.S. stocks for clues to how Japanese equities will fare next week.

54.   With the exception of Japanese equities, Americans have been selling more foreign stocks than they have been buying in recent months.

55.   Buying sentiment was strong ahead of the establishment later this week of several new investment trust funds that were expected to put much of their assets into Japanese equities.

56.   Company officials also attributed the poor results to reduced commissions on sales of Japanese equities overseas due to the weak Japanese stocks.

57.   In currency dealings, the dollar weakened slightly on continued yen-buying from overseas investors to invest in Japanese equities.

58.   Isao Takahashi, senior manager of Japanese equity trading at James Capel Pacific, said share prices advanced on the surge by the near-term March Nikkei futures.

59.   It said current severe market conditions would make it difficult for smooth unloading of the issue without causing debilitating impact on Japanese equity markets.

60.   Late last year, Prudential Securities and Kidder Peabody closed their Japanese equity operations.