TOKYO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed slightly higher Wednesday, reversing earlier losses and reclaiming the 20,000 mark as investor appetite increased on hopes for robust upcoming quarterly corporate earnings.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average added 20.95 points, or 0.10 percent, from Tuesday to close the day at 20,020.86.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, inched up 1.39 points, or 0.09 percent, to finish at 1,621.87.
Investors opted not to chase the market higher, local traders said, and the mood remained circumspect ahead of the results of central banks' policy meetings being held in Japan and Europe, with the results set to be released on Thursday.
Brokers here said that the Bank of Japan is most likely to maintain its current monetary policy although may cut its fiscal year inflation forecast.
The European Central Bank may be looking to limit its asset purchases, market players said, both outcomes of which will be a boon for the market here as the yen will retreat against a basket of other major currencies, they added.
By the close of play, issues that advanced the most comprised fishery, agriculture and forestry, information and communication, and services-linked stocks, and rising shares outpaced those that declined by 1,136 to 760 on the First Section.
On the main section on Wednesday, 1,641.42 million shares changed hands, dropping from Tuesday's volume of 1,817.25 million shares.
The turnover on Wednesday totaled 2,020.8 billion yen (18.02 billion U.S. dollars) by the closing bell.
