1st LD Writethru: Tokyo stocks close slightly higher as exporter issues lifted by weak yen

TOKYO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed slightly higher Wednesday as a comparatively weak yen supported exporter issues, overcoming earlier market retreats after U.S. shares dropped overnight.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average added 23.72 points, or 0.10 percent, from Tuesday to close the day at 22,891.72.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, gained 5.98 points, or 0.33 percent, to finish at 1,821.16.

Local brokers said that issues here came under pressure in early trade on the back of Wall Street's retreat overnight.

They said that things gathered steam in later trade as a comparatively weak yen supported the market and lifted exporter issues, which have a wide influence on the broader market.

Market strategists also noted that financial issues drew buying commensurate with a rise in U.S. Treasury bills and hopes for the enactment of a U.S. tax reform bill following Senate approval.

The final vote on the bill will take place in the U.S. House of Representatives later in the day.

But gains were eventually capped, market players said, as some investors opted to lock in gains and others were in a "wait and see" mood ahead of the conclusion of the Bank of Japan's 2-day policy meeting on Thursday.

Machinery, bank, and oil and coal product-linked issues comprised those that gained the most by the close of play, and rising issues beat falling ones by 1,124 to 837, on the First Section, with 97 ending the day unchanged.

On the main section on Wednesday, 1,661.24 million shares changed hands, rising from Tuesday's volume of 1,458.99 million shares.

The turnover on the third trading day of the week totaled 2,549.8 billion yen (22.54 billion U.S. dollars). Enditem