TECH FIRMS SUCH KYOCERA CORP. LOST GROUND IN TOKYO DUE TO CONCERNS OVER FOREIGN SELLING. "FOREIGNERS RETURNED TO NET SELLING JAPANESE STOCKS ... THE FALL IN (COMMODITY PRICES) HAS ALSO BECOME A NEGATIVE FOR THE MARKET," SAID HIDEYUKI SUZUKI, MANAGER OF INVESTMENT INFORMATION AT SBI SECURITIES. MAJOR EXPORTER TOYOTA, THE WORLD'S MOST PROFITABLE AUTO MAKER, FELL 2.1 PERCENT, TRIMMING WEDNESDAY'S 3.2 PERCENT GAIN. JAPAN'S NO. 3 AUTO MAKER, HONDA MOTOR CO. LTD., LOST 1.6 PERCENT. FOREIGN INVESTORS ALSO RESUMED SELLING IN SOUTH KOREA, MARKING THEIR 12TH CONSECUTIVE SESSION OF NET SALES. BLUE-CHIPS STOCKS, SUCH AS SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS, WERE HIT. EMERGING MARKETS SUCH AS SOUTH KOREA HAVE BORNE THE BRUNT OF THE RECENT SELL-OFF IN GLOBAL STOCKS AS INVESTORS CURBED THEIR APPETITE FOR SO-CALLED RISKIER ASSETS. UPBEAT DATA ON NEW U.S. HOME SALES HELPED SOOTHE SOME WORRIES ABOUT A SHARP SLOWDOWN IN THE ONCE RED-HOT PROPERTY MARKET AND SUGGESTED THE FED MIGHT LIFT ITS BENCHMARK FED FUNDS RATE TO 5.25 PERCENT AT ITS NEXT MEETING. AT 0600 GMT, THE DOLLAR WAS AT 112.68 YEN FROM NEAR 112.95 YEN IN LATE NEW YORK TRADE. JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BOND PRICES EASED, IGNORING THE FALL IN TOKYO SHARE PRICES, AS EXPECTATIONS THAT THE BANK OF JAPAN WOULD RAISE INTEREST RATES IN THE JULY-SEPTEMBER QUARTER STAYED INTACT. THE YIELD ON THE BENCHMARK 10-YEAR JGB ROSE 1 BASIS POINT TO 1.830 PERCENT. OIL, WHICH HAD SLIPPED IN TANDEM WITH MOST COMMODITIES LATE ON WEDNESDAY, WAS TRADING 19 CENTS HIGHER AT $70.05 A BARREL BY 0600 GMT, AFTER LOSING $1.90 OR 2.7 PERCENT ON WEDNESDAY. GOLD REGAINED SOME STRENGTH, A DAY AFTER A BOUT OF FUND-SELLING AND PROFIT-TAKING HAD PUSHED IT FURTHER FROM MULTI-YEAR HIGHS. SPOT GOLD ROSE TO $643.50/644.30 AN OUNCE FROM $639.20/640.00 LATE IN NEW YORK ON WEDNESDAY, WHEN IT FELL NEARLY 5 PERCENT.
