The Coming Week in Asia: Investors More Uncertain After Market's Recent Lift

TOKYO -- With volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and flooding on everyone's mind, who has time to think about the markets?

It's been tough even for traders to concentrate on making the next yen when their televisions are filled with images of people trapped in their homes or being shuffled off to shelters after central Japan was hit by the heaviest downpour in history. Still, the markets, while soggy, were open, and trades must be made. And after the long weekend, traders and investors will have some time this week to plan tactics for the earnings rush that will start next month when companies begin to report fiscal first-half results. (Japan's markets were closed on Friday for a national holiday.)

Besides the upcoming earnings season, expectations of profit increases for large electronic manufacturers has lifted market sentiment recently. But the coming week will likely be sobering as the government talks about its supplemental budget and the central bank focuses on economic growth. The Bank of Japan's monthly economic report will kick-start the week, followed with a speech by central bank governor Masaru Hayami on Tuesday. Given that the BOJ last month hiked interest rates for the first time in a decade, many investors are waiting to see how bullish the BOJ is on the economy to gauge whether more hikes may be in store. ...