TOKYO, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks ended mixed on Wednesday as investors traded cautiously amid growing uncertainty about the U.S. economic outlook and the timing of future interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 128.99 points, or 0.26 percent, from Tuesday to close at 49,512.28. The broader Topix index slipped 1.11 points, or 0.03 percent, to end at 3,369.39.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond briefly climbed to 1.980 percent, its highest level since June 2007, on expectations that the Bank of Japan may raise interest rates at its two-day policy meeting starting Thursday.
On the top-tier Prime Market, the main decliners were farm and fishery and oil and coal product issues, while insurance and nonferrous metal shares were among the main gainers.
Investor sentiment was dampened by an overnight decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, after U.S. employment data showed nonfarm payrolls exceeding forecasts but the unemployment rate unexpectedly rising, a development some market participants attributed to the effects of a prolonged government shutdown.
However, the market was supported by investors buying on dips after the Nikkei index finished at a two-week low the previous day, while heavyweight technology shares advanced in line with an overnight rally in the tech-heavy U.S. Nasdaq index.
