Tokyo stocks ended mixed Wednesday, as falls in semiconductor-related issues were offset by buying of companies that reported robust earnings.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 40.74 points, or 0.11 percent, from Tuesday at 36,119.92. The broader Topix index finished 10.70 points, or 0.42 percent, higher at 2,549.95.
On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by machinery and electric appliance issues, while transportation equipment and wholesale trade issues led gainers.
The U.S. dollar remained under pressure in the upper 147 yen range following an overnight decline of U.S. Treasury yields.
Tokyo stocks were directionless, fluctuating around the previous day's closing levels as chip shares tracked a decline in a key U.S. semiconductor index, but the overall sentiment was supported by buying of companies with favorable earnings and plans to enhance shareholder returns.
Toyota Motor continued to draw buying after reporting Tuesday strong April-December earnings and a robust outlook, while trading house Mitsubishi was among the top advancers after announcing share buybacks.
Once earnings-related buying runs out of steam, "investors will start looking to overseas events, including U.S. inflation data for January due out next week," said Koichi Fujishiro, senior economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
