Tokyo stocks close 0.92pct higher

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks closed 0.92 percent higher Thursday, following a mixed session on Wall Street, with investor optimism boosted by easing eurozone fears and positive earnings from US blue-chips.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange gained 77.20 points to 8,443.10 while the Topix index of all first-section issues was up 1.20 percent, or 8.45 points, at 714.91.

Investors sought out cheap buys among Japanese firms on the Tokyo market after the benchmark index hit a seven-week low on Wednesday, said Fumiyuki Nakanishi, SMBC Friend Securities' head of investment and research.

Robust earnings from Caterpillar, Boeing and other US blue-chips helped the Dow Jones Industrial Average snap a three-session losing streak Wednesday, rising 0.47 percent to 12,676.05.

However, the S&P 500 index edged down 0.03 percent while the tech-rich Nasdaq gave up 0.31 percent.

Investors were likely to remain cautious before key US economic data is released later Thursday and on Friday, dealers said.

A persistently strong yen has also put pressure on Japanese exporter shares.

“There were few expectations for exporters, such as high-tech and autos, to post upbeat results, considering the yen's strength over the past few months,” Kabu.com Securities chief strategist Tatsunori Kawai told Dow Jones Newswires.

In Tokyo, Canon plunged 7.76 percent to 2,470 yen after the export-dependent cameras and office equipment maker lowered its profit outlook for 2012.

Sharp closed up 0.76 percent at 262 yen after recouping losses on a report the consumer electronics firm may cut 15 percent of its workforce.

Olympus jumped 9.63 percent to 1,400 yen after medical equipment maker Terumo said it offered to make a $640-million capital injection in the scandal-hit firm and merge under a holding company.

Brokerage giant Nomura Holdings rose 5.71 percent to 259 yen after media reports that chief executive Kenichi Watanabe would step down over an insider trading scandal.

Nomura said after the market close that its net profit dived 89.4 percent year-on-year to 1.89 billion yen in the three months to June as commission income fell in retail business while net gain on trading shrank.

The group was to hold a news conference later Thursday.

Toyota Motor ended up 1.81 percent at 2,868 yen after media reports that it has returned to the top of the global carmakers' league with sales of almost five million vehicles in the first half of the year.

On currency markets, the euro bought $1.2152 and 95.00 yen in Tokyo late afternoon trade, in line with levels in New York late Wednesday.

The dollar was at 78.18 yen, also flat from New York. - Sapa-AFP