Tokyo: Stocks close down 0.15% after Nikkei tops 20,000

[TOKYO] Tokyo stocks closed down 0.15 per cent on Friday, after the benchmark Nikkei index briefly burst through the 20,000 level last seen 15 years ago.

The Nikkei 225 reached 20,006.00 in opening trade, prompting joyful traders at brokerage houses to break into applause.

But the joy was short-lived and the index lost 30.09 points to close at 19,907.63, while the Topix index of all first-section issues shed 0.29 per cent, or 4.65 points, to close at 1,589.54.

AFP