TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average gave up early gains to end nearly flat on Wednesday, as chip-related shares lost ground after Dutch chip tool maker ASML reported earnings.
The Nikkei closed 0.05 percent lower at 67,744.29 after rising as much as 0.93 percent earlier in the session. The broader Topix edged 0.34 percent lower to 4,096.78.
In Japan, chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron reversed gains to end 2.73 percent lower. Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest also gave up gains and ended 0.05 percent lower.
Fibre optic cable maker Fujikura rose 2.56 percent.
Taiyo Yuden, a leading maker of multi-layer ceramic capacitors used to regulate power in AI servers, rose 3.59 percent to become the top percentage gainer on the Nikkei.
Overnight, major US investment bank stocks fell, with Citigroup dipping 5.6 percent and Goldman Sachs losing 0.2 percent after both beat profit estimates.
Out of more than 1,500 stocks trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s prime market, 57 percent fell, 38 percent rose and 3 percent traded flat.