The Tokyo Stock Exchange's Nikkei-225 index lost 323.90 points to close at 14,664.64. Trading was thin with volume estimated at 480 million shares, compared to 504.6 million shares on Friday.

"Foreign investors are getting wary about uncertainty over the political situation in Japan," said Nikko Securities senior analyst Kazue Mayuzumi.

"But the Tokyo market is mostly concerned about developments in New York." Koichi Kato, a former secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said over the weekend he might support a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori if it was submitted. Nikko's Mayuzumi said investors here were also discouraged by the stalemate between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore in the US presidential election and the continual decline in the technology-heavy US Nasdaq index.

European stocks sucked down
London: European stock markets fell early on Monday as investors sought safer havens for their funds than stocks, which have been hit hardest by uncertainty surrounding the US presidential race. London set the tone, with the FTSE index of 100 leading shares shedding 1.1 percent to 6,329.1 points by midmorning.

Paris followed close behind. The CAC 40 index showed a loss of one per cent at 6,086.02 points In Frankfurt, the DAX index fell back 0.93 per cent to 6.788.26 points. The Euro Stoxx 50 index was 0.64 per cent lighter in the 11-nation euro zone. European investors took their cue from the US markets, where investors have become increasingly concerned by the uncertaintly surrounding the battle for the White House.

Foreign investors remain net buyers of Japanese stocks in September
Tokyo: Foreign investors bought a net 24.8 billion yen (229.6 million dollars) worth of Japanese shares in September, the Finance ministry said Monday.

Foreigners remained net buyers of Japanese shares for the second straight month with net purchases in August totalling 117.9 billion yen, the ministry said.

Investors from abroad bought a net 938.8 billion yen worth of Japanese bonds in September, up from their net buying of 836.2 billion yen in August, it said. Japanese investors, meanwhile, bought a net 120.0 billion yen worth of offshore equities in September after selling a net 66.6 billion yen in the previous month.

They sold a net 496.4 billion yen worth of foreign fixed income assets in September following their net purchase of 870.4 billion yen in August.

Shares in Consors dive on disappointing earnings
Frankfurt: Shares in Consors, a leading online broker in Europe, took a nosedive on the stock exchange on Monday after the company posted nine-month earnings figures which were below analysts' expectations. Consors shares plunged to an intraday low of 68.82 euros on the Frankfurt stock exchange, a loss of 12.74 euros or 15.6 per cent from the closing price on Friday.

The overall market was also weaker, with the NEMAX 50 of Neuer Markt blue-chip shares showing a loss of 6.09 percent at 3,833.07 points. Consors said in a statement that group net profit amounted to 11.677 million euros (10 million dollars) in the period from January to September. In the same period of 1999, Consors had posted net profit of 16.052 million euros.

But the year-earlier figure was not strictly comparable because it referred solely to the parent company. Since last year, Consors has acquired a number of European businesses, such as Consors France, which were still making a loss and therefore weighing on group earnings, along with increased personnel and marketing costs, a spokeswoman explained. At parent company level this year, Consors posted net profit of 20.62 million euros.

AFP