Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index ended flat on Friday as investors sought fresh trading clues and watched individual corporate earnings reports.
The Nikkei 225 index closed up just 0.07 percent or 14.90 points at 20,788.39, while the broader Topix index was down 0.18 percent or 2.86 points at 1,564.63.
The twin indexes were trading in positive territory in early trade but lost steam later, with some analysts also pointing to a negative impact from a weak Chinese manufacturing data released during Tokyo trading time. "Following rallies on Thursday after the US Fed signalled a dovish view on rate hikes, investors are seeking fresh clues," Hiroaki Hiwata, strategist at Toyo Securities, told AFP.
In Tokyo, high-tech shares were higher, with Sharp surging 10.32 percent to 1,272 yen while Murata Mfg advancing 8.46 percent to 16,725 yen after it said its net profit for the nine months to December jumped nearly 40 percent.
Fanuc gained 1.98 percent to 18,725 yen despite the industrial robot manufacturer revising down its full-year earnings forecasts.
Brokerage giant Nomura closed down 4.02 percent at 4,241 yen after it posted a net loss for the nine months to December. Nintendo dived 9.19 percent to 30,720 yen despite its net profit jumping nearly a quarter for the nine months to December.
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