AHEAD OF THE TAPE.

The article reports on stock market news and trends. The Japanese yen is trading at its lowest rate against the U.S. dollar in four years, in spite of a strong Japanese economy and good consumer spending. The weakness is boosting the carry trade, a sector that could crumble with an increase in interest rates.The weak yen is also helping Japanese automakers, allowing Toyota and Honda to offer incentives to the further detriment of market share for the big three U.S. automakers.