TOKYO, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks ended essentially flat Tuesday as early selling to lock in gains after the Nikkei's sharp rise a day earlier was offset by lackluster buying amid a lack of fresh trading cues.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average edged up 20.80 points, or 0.10 percent, from Monday to close the day at 21,302.65.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 4.56 points, or 0.28 percent, higher at 1,606.52.
Investors opted to secure recent gains after the Nikkei closed at a two-month high a day earlier, local brokers pointed out.
They added that amid a lack of fresh trading cues, profit-taking was the predominate impetus in early play.
In later trade, brokers here said that investors looked to upcoming events for cues, while hitting the sidelines, with buying slightly more than offsetting selling for profits. The closure of U.S. markets on Monday for a national holiday also factored into a lack of cues, market players said.
By the close of play, mining, oil and coal product, and land transportation-linked issues comprised those that gained the most, and rising issues beat falling ones by 1,049 to 976 on the First Section, while 104 ended unchanged.
On the main section on Tuesday, 1,066.05 million shares changed hands, dropping from Monday's volume of 1,190.24 million shares.
The turnover on the second trading day of the week came to 1,857.0 billion yen (16.76 billion U.S. dollars). Enditem
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