BUSINESSMEN STOP TO LOOK AT STOCK PRICES IN TOKYO, 1999-03-05 (photo)

Japanese businessmen stop to take a look at stock prices flashing across a quotation board outside a brokerage March 5 in Tokyo where shares rocketed five percent and long-term interest rates fell as the markets continued to respond to recent aggressive monetary easing measures by the Bank of Japan. The central bank has driven a key overnight interest rate essentially to zero this week by flooding the money market with funds, and on Friday left the market with a surplus of 1.4 trillion yen (US$11.3 billion). The benchmark Nikkei index soared 710.55 points, or 5.01 percent, to end the day at 14,894.00. ES/JIR/CLH/