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| - Tokyo stocks erased early gains and closed lower on Monday as investors locked in profits following a recent surge. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.76 percent, or 203.80 points, to 26,547.44, while the broader Topix index lost 0.86 percent, or 15.19 points, to 1,760.75. Shares opened higher, extending global equity rallies as US lawmakers negotiate a fresh stimulus to counter the coronavirus pandemic. But profit-taking began quickly, pushing shares into negative territory by noon. "The market has been overheated since the Nikkei hit this year's high on December 3," said Shinichi Yamamoto, a broker at Okasan Securities in Tokyo. "While sentiment remains solid, the market is likely to stay in an adjusting period for now," Yamamoto told AFP. Investors were watching an announcement due Tuesday on Japan's new stimulus package, including measures to fight the pandemic, brokers said. The dollar stood at 104.06 yen in Asian afternoon trade, down from 104.19 yen on Friday in New York. Dentsu lost 0.56 percent to 3,515 yen after the advertising giant warned of an annual loss, and as reports said it plans to cut around 6,000 jobs from its overseas operation. Airlines fell steeply. ANA Holdings slumped 5.20 percent to 2,357 yen while Japan Airlines was down 2.60 percent at 1,980 yen. Sony lost 0.84 percent to 9,675 yen but Toyota added 0.32 percent to 7,204 yen, with Nintendo up 1.47 percent at 57,770 yen. si/kaf/rma
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