Tokyo stocks mixed in morning as profit-taking counteracts robust data

Tokyo stocks ended mixed Thursday morning as upbeat machinery orders data bolstered investor sentiment, but Wall Street's overnight slump and fears of overheating in the market capped gains as some investors took profits.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 5.65 points, or 0.03 percent, from Wednesday to end the morning at 19,697.04, while the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange shed 0.43 point, or 0.03 percent, to end the morning at 1,594.89.

Among the notable advancers in the morning were pulp and paper and land transport issues, while bank and mining issues led decliners ahead of the break. Enditem