TOKYO, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed mixed on Friday as the yen's weakness gave exporters a boost, although gains were offset by concerns over the health of the U.S. economy.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average added 145.08 points, or 0.54 percent, from Thursday to close the day at 26,788.47.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, lost 0.63 point, or 0.03 percent, to finish at 1,892.50.
Brokers said that following a higher-than-expected U.S. producer price index for June released Thursday, the yen dropped to the upper 138 yen range versus the U.S. dollar, after touching a fresh 24-year low overnight.
This was because the data coming in above par raised prospects the U.S. Federal Reserve will further hike its interest rates to combat inflation, despite concerns the move could tip the world's largest economy into recession.
They said that while the yen's drop gave exporters a boost, trading was subdued ahead of a three-day weekend here.
"It's difficult to make aggressive moves given the three-day weekend and earnings season approaching," a market participant at a domestic asset management firm was quoted as saying.
By the close of play, miscellaneous product, electric power and gas, and transportation equipment issues comprised those that gained the most.
Insurance, bank, and mining issues led to decliners, meanwhile.
Issues that fell outpaced those that rose by 1,074 to 689 on the Prime Market, while 75 ended the day unchanged.
Among exporters advancing on the yen's weakness, Honda Motor accelerated 0.9 percent, while Sharp added 1.0 percent.
Nikkei heavyweight Fast Retailing, operator of the Uniqlo clothing chain, was the best performer on the Nikkei, surging 8.7 percent, after it upwardly revised its earnings projection for the current business year.
Utilities rose after the government here said that more nuclear power stations should be brought online by winter, with Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. climbing 2.4 percent, while Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc. added 1.8 percent.
But financial issues weighed on the market, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group dropping 2.5 percent, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings losing 2.9 percent, while Resona Holdings ended the day 2.3 percent lower.
On the Prime Market on Friday, 1,078.31 million shares changed hands, rising from Thursday's volume of 972.78 million shares.
The turnover on the final trading day of the week came to 2,544.42 billion yen (18.32 billion U.S. dollars). ■