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| - Tokyo stocks edged down Monday on profit-taking despite US rallies, with investors closely watching the US presidential election campaigns. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.26 percent, or 61.0 points, to close at 23,558.69, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.24 percent, or 4.03 points, to 1,643.35. Investors continued to lock in profits, extending weak performances on Friday, brokers said. "Profit-taking easily emerges at the Nikkei's current level," said Shinichi Yamamoto, a broker at Okasan Securities in Tokyo. "And Friday's gain in US shares did not help boost market sentiment here," Yamamoto told AFP, adding that players were looking for fresh trading factors. Investors remained cautious ahead of corporate earnings season later this month and are closely watching developments in the US presidential election campaigns, analysts said. The dollar fetched 105.49 yen in Asian afternoon trade, against 105.61 yen in New York late Friday. Among major shares in Tokyo, Toyota lost 0.80 percent to 6,911 yen despite a 25 percent rise in its vehicle sales in China in September, while its rival Honda was down 1.83 percent at 2,534.5 yen. ANA Holdings jumped 2.64 percent to 2,464 yen after a weekend report that the airline will allow its employees to do a side job. Its rival Japan Airlines gained 1.37 percent to 2,028 yen. kh-si/sah/mtp
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