TOKYO: Tokyo stocks were unexcited on Thursday due to defeats on Wall Street and Chinese industrial data.
The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange edged up just 3.51 points to 17,292.26, while the Topix index of all first-section shares rose 0.08 percent, or 1.11 points, to 1,397.65.
Just before markets opened, official data showed Japan’s trade deficit narrowed sharply in October, helped by higher exports and lower oil prices.
That offered renewed hope that the yen’s slide would boost Japan’s sales of goods abroad and help power a flagging domestic economy, which fell into recession during the third quarter.