Share prices closed somewhat mixed in Tokyo overnight after a late wave of interest in low-priced stocks erased most of the earlier losses. Dealers say the interest was driven by the sustained falls in US chip equipment makers in a continued reaction to Intel Corp's announcement of a lower capital expenditure budget for 2003. In addition, broad-based gains among banks limited the market's downside, they noted.
All of this left the Nikkei down 2.58 points or 0.03pc, at 8,609.17, off a low of 8,536.11 and a high of 8,619.84 //www.fxcentre.com