Nikkei closes 3.50 pct lower to 4-month low

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

TOKYO, March 6 (Chinese media) -- Tokyo stocks fell sharply Friday with the key

Nikkei index down 3.50 percent to a four-month low.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Average nosedived 260.39 points to 7,173.10.

The broader Topix index plunged 20.16 points, or 2.72 percent, to 721.39.

Value and volume leader Nomura Holdings shed 9 yen, or over 2 percent, to

417 yen.

On the First Section, declining issues outnumbered advancing ones 1,368 to

290, with 56 others remaining unchanged.

Trading volume on the main section contracted to 2,051.95 million shares

from 2,381.03 million Thursday.

The TSE's Second Section index fell 10.17 points, or 0.57 percent, to

1,772.69 on a volume of 12.51 million shares.

On the Osaka Securities Exchange, the near-term March Nikkei 225 index

futures contract dropped 240 points to 7,170.