Share prices closed slightly lower on technically-driven profit-taking, and because of to hefty drops among steelmakers after one announced price cuts, dealers said. "Stock prices here fell today, with many investors opting to sell shares on the rally or lock-in profits as the benchmark Nikkei 225 index was approaching the key technical level of 11,200 points," said Hitoshi Yamamoto, president and chief portfolio manager at Commerz International Capital Management (Japan). Yamamoto also noted that a lack of foreign money also weighed on the domestic market, as "many [foreign investors] were unwilling to take large long or overbought positions ahead of the first-half book-closing of hedge funds at end-May or June." Hideyuki Suzuki, a market analyst at World Nichiei Frontier Securities, said: "On both April 18 and May 10, the Nikkei 225 index failed to break convincingly through the 11,200-point level. That is why we saw an increase in selling pressure today, as the index approached that level." The Nikkei 225 Stock Average closed down 25.00 points or 0.2 pct at 11,133.65, after being up nearly 57 points at 11,199.23 at one point. The broader TOPIX index of all First Section issues ended down 1.37 points or 0.1 pct at 1,136.32. Steelmakers fell substantially after Tokyo Steel Manufacturing announced plans to cut some prices next month. Tokyo Steel Manufacturing dropped 33 yen or 2.2 pct at 1,444.