Tokyo: Stocks end lower on afternoon profit-taking

[TOKYO] Tokyo's benchmark stock index ended lower Thursday, slipping for the fourth straight session as dealers turned to afternoon profit-taking, despite an oil-linked surge on US and European bourses.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange lost 0.51 per cent, or 97.01 points, to 18,789.69, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares closed down 0.65 per cent, or 9.98 points, at 1,523.62.

AFP