Asia Stocks Snap Six-Day Win Streak Ahead of U.S. Jobs Report; Honda Falls ?

Asian stocks snapped a six-day streak of advances ahead of reports expected to show the U.S. jobless rate remained above 9 percent last month, adding to signs growth in the world’s largest economy is weakening.

Sony Corp. (6758), Japan’s biggest exporter of consumer electronics, declined 4.3 percent in Tokyo on speculation exports to the U.S. will fall. Toyota Motor Corp (7203) and Honda Motor Co. fell at least 1.6 percent after both the companies’ share of the U.S.

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Noda Gets the Nod?

Japan is getting another new prime minister this week, with Yoshihiko Noda's victory in yesterday's Democratic Party of Japan leadership race setting him up to take the top job as early as today. He becomes the country's sixth leader in five years, and cynics are already betting he'll be a one-year wonder like his four immediate predecessors. That cynicism may well be justified, though the leadership race has brought a few glimmers of hope.

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