US elections big in Japan

The drop is led by Shire Pharmaceuticals, down 12.25p to 528.25p ahead of third quarter results due later today. Smith & Nephew, the medical devices company, is down 8p to 460.50p. 3i Group is down 8.50p to 587.50p. In Asia, Japanese stocks have risen after the settling of the US presidential election, providing optimism that the world's largest economy will sustain its growth. Bush's tax cuts are seen as encouraging consumer spending, increasing demand for items such as flat-screen televisions, digital cameras and cars - all made by Japanese companies. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average...