1st LD Writethru: Tokyo stocks close higher as sentiment buoyed by U.S. jobs data

TOKYO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed higher Monday with blue chips in particularly attracting buying as investors here were emboldened by stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data sending U.S. shares higher late last week.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average added 127.65 points, or 0.56 percent, from Friday to end the day at 22,938.73, marking its highest close since January 1992.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, gained 9.61 points, or 0.53 percent, to close at 1,813.34.

Investors here cheered the latest, better-than-expected data at the end of last week, showing the U.S. economy produced 228,000 non-farm jobs in November.

Local brokers said the data showed the U.S. economy was expanding but the rate of inflation was in check.

Added to this, strategists said gains were expanded in the afternoon session on the yen's relatively weak tone which gave some exporters and blue chips a boost.

Ultimately, economists said, the market's upside was capped in later play by investors looking to secure profits while others hit the sidelines ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting through Wednesday.

Oil and coal product, bank and machinery issues comprised those that gained the most by the close of play, and rising issues outpaced declining ones by 1,345 to 615, with 87 ending the day unchanged.

On the main section on Monday, 1,420.07 million shares changed hands, dropping from Friday's volume of 2,005.30 million shares.

The turnover on the first trading day of the week came to 2,363.3 billion yen (20.82 billion U.S. dollars). Enditem