JAPAN STOCKS: The Nikkei 225 is expected rise on the

JAPAN STOCKS: The Nikkei 225 is expected rise on Wednesday with the help of a weaker yen and strong corporate earnings. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316) and Nippon Steel Corp (5401) plan to post earnings reports later today and electronics maker Sony Corp (6758) will post earnings on Thursday. Nikkei futures traded in Chicago ended at 9,655, up 1.6% from the Osaka close pointing to a higher open in Tokyo. Market players expect the benchmark Nikkei to move between 9,500 and 9,700 on Wednesday after it edged down 0.07% at 9,496.85 on Tuesday.