Tokyo stocks end flat

TOKYO: Tokyo stocks ended flat on Friday after zig-zagging in and out of positive territory, with market heavyweight Nikon diving on a big drop in the camera giant's quarterly profit.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index edged up 0.07 percent, or 9.63 points, to 13,615.19, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares rose 0.12 percent, or 1.32 points, to 1,140.91.

The flat finish came after the Nikkei added 0.60 percent by the break Friday, tracking gains on Wall Street and after a halt in the dollar's downward spiral against the yen.

"The market remains in the summer doldrums," said SMBC Nikko Securities general manager of equities Hiroichi Nishi.

Next week, many traders will be off for national holidays, while Japan's preliminary GDP figures for the second quarter are due Monday morning.

"The markets could see some renewed buffeting if trading volume drops off even more than we have seen in recent weeks," said an equity derivatives trader at a foreign brokerage.

Nikon dropped 14.29 percent to 1,726 yen after saying Thursday its net profit fell 72 percent in the April-June quarter as digital camera sales slumped, while slashing its sales and profit outlook for the fiscal year to March.

Toyota rose 0.16 percent to 6,170 yen, Sony gained 0.83 percent to 1,943 yen while Sharp was down 0.74 percent to 401 yen.

In Tokyo afternoon trading, the dollar was nearly flat at 96.61 yen from 96.64 yen in New York Thursday.
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