Tokyo stocks close up 0.29%

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

TOKYO, Feb. 10 (Chinese media) -- Tokyo stocks ended Tuesday almost flat ahead of a U.S. bank rescue package expected to be released later in the day.

The benchmark 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 23.09 points, or 0.29 percent, from Monday to 7,945.94.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange meanwhile was down 0.80 points, or 0.10 percent, to 778.10.

Decliners were led by iron and steel, rubber product and sea transport issues. Major gainers included insurance, securities and services issues.

On the First Section, declining issues outnumbered advancing ones 854 to 727, with 128 others remaining unchanged.

Nissan Motor advanced 19 yen, or over 7 percent, to 280 yen due to bargain hunting. The automaker on Monday slashed its earnings forecasts for fiscal 2008, projecting a group net loss of 265 billion yen.

Trading volume on the main section came to 1,860.45 million shares, down from Monday's 1,910.15 million. Volume leader Mizuho Financial Group remained unchanged from the previous day's closing at 219 yen.

The TSE's Second Section index was down 1.93 points, or 0.10 percent, to 1,864.68 on a volume of 16.22 million shares. On the Osaka Securities Exchange, the near-term March Nikkei 225 index futures contract was up 40 points to 7,950.