The Nikkei 225 one of the few Asian equities indices that showed a decline on Tuesday
The Nikkei dropped 0.2 percent to 17,248.89, while the Topix index closed barely higher at 1,706.18 and the Mothers market added 1.38 percent to 864.7.
Earnings results and other news drove gains and losses on the session in Tokyo.
Among banks, Shinsei Bank (TYO: 8303) added 6.4 percent to ¥448 on its report that quarterly recurring profit had gone up by 22 percent in its fiscal first quarter, while net income had risen by 63 percent.
The steel sector, on the other hand, saw declines after Japan’s Fair Trade Commission said it has begun an investigation into Nippon Steel (TYO: 5401) and JFE (TYO: 5411) concerning whether the two had engaged in price-fixing.
JFE was 1.7 percent lower to ¥8,210, while Nippon Steel dropped 2 percent to ¥900 as ¥91 billion in shares changed hands on the session.
Sumitomo Metal (TYO: 5405) fell 2.7 percent to ¥692.
The electronics sector was mixed,
Sharp (TYO: 6753) added 1.5 percent to ¥2,065 ahead of news after the close that it will build a new plant in Japan, while Sanyo Electric (TYO: 6764; NAS: SANYY) was 0.5 percent lower to ¥185 on a drop in operating profit of 72 percent in its fiscal first quarter, while Kyocera (TYO: 6971) dropped 6.3 percent to ¥11,500 on disappointing broker comments.
Camera maker Nikon (TYO: 7731) added 5.5 percent to ¥3,820 after Nikko Citigroup raised its target share price.