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| - Tokyo stocks ended lower on Wednesday as investors searched for fresh news following subdued US trade. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index ended down 0.35 percent or 102.76 points at 28,860.80, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.28 percent or 5.51 points to 1,957.14. Marine transportation, paper and brokerage sectors were among the biggest losers of the day, while aviation, real estate and mining shares enjoyed gains. Investors in Tokyo were nervous ahead of the release of US consumer prices later this week and the Federal Reserve meeting next week, analysts said. But many sat on their hands as the market looked for a sense of direction. "The Nikkei began the day under pressure. After the initial round of selling in the early morning, there was a lack of fresh news to move the market," SMBC Nikko Securities said. "The Nikkei remained stuck in a narrow range," the brokerage added. The market became increasingly rigid in the afternoon ahead of the planned release of the US CPI data and the FOMC meeting, Okasan Online Securities said. The US consumer price data due on Thursday could either exacerbate or mitigate inflation worries. The dollar fetched 109.37 yen in Asian trade, against 109.49 yen in New York late Tuesday. Pharmaceutical firm Eisai roared 16.26 percent to 10,755 after the United States approved the Alzheimer's drug it developed with Biogen, the first new medicine against the disease in almost two decades. The Japanese health ministry may approve the drug by the end of this year, local reports said. Among other shares, Sony Group lost 2.18 percent at 10,755 yen, chip-testing equipment maker Advantest fell 2.09 percent to 9,840 yen, and shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines gave up 3.59 percent at 4,695 yen. Nomura Holdings fell 1.88 percent to 590.4. hih/kaf/reb
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