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| - Tokyo stocks closed lower on Tuesday as investors locked in recent gains a day after the benchmark Nikkei index posted its best finish in nearly 16 months. The Nikkei 225 slipped 0.91 percent, or 218.95 points, to close at 23,864.56 while the broader Topix index was down 0.53 percent, or 9.19 points, at 1,734.97. "Many investors moved to profit-taking following recent gains," Yoshihiro Okumura, general manager at Chibagin Asset Management, told AFP. Trade was sluggish in the absence of trading cues with the US markets closed for a holiday on Monday. As global leaders gather in Davos this week, the IMF trimmed its global growth estimate to 3.3 percent from 3.4 percent for 2020, and to 3.4 percent from 3.6 percent for 2021. "Importantly though, growth is still forecast to be stronger than the 2.9 percent recorded in 2019," said Tapas Strickland, director of economics and markets at National Australia Bank. Risks are "less skewed to the downside, given preliminary signs the slump in manufacturing and global trade is starting to bottom," he said in a commentary. Market players are also watching US talks with European nations. Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump have agreed to extend negotiations on a dispute over a French tax on digital giants to the end of the year, postponing Washington's threat of sanctions against Paris, according to a French diplomatic source. "Further development on President Trump's trade policy with Europe is likely today with Trump giving the opening address at Davos," Strickland said, noting his 2018 address foreshadowed Washington's more unilateral approach to policy. A new risk factor is a SARS-like virus that has spread beyond China, analysts said, after a Beijing government expert said Monday the virus can spread between humans. The dollar fell to 109.94 yen in Asian afternoon trade from 110.19 yen late Monday in Tokyo. The market largely ignored the Bank of Japan's decision to upgrade its growth forecast for Japan and keep its super easy monetary policy unchanged. In Tokyo stocks trade, energy companies were lower with Inpex down 0.97 percent at 1,113.5 yen and JXTG Holdings down 0.54 percent at 493.8 yen. Uniqlo clothing chain operator Fast Retailing dropped 1.35 percent to 63,330 yen but Toyota rose 0.95 percent to 7,854 yen. si/sah/hg
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