TOKYO, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks ended mixed Friday on the final trading day of the year, while the benchmark Nikkei stock index finished at its highest year-end since 1989.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, ended down 75.45 points, or 0.22 percent, from Thursday at 33,464.17, up 28 percent from a year earlier to finish at the highest year-end since 1989.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 4.37 points, or 0.19 percent, higher at 2,366.39.
Trading was flat throughout the day ahead of the year-end and New Year holidays, as Japanese financial markets will be closed from Saturday through Wednesday for the New Year holidays.
The Nikkei started 2023 at approximately 26,000 and reached a peak above 33,700 in July, as the yen's weakness against the U.S. dollar helped lift company earnings on the back of an economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, analysts said.
On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by mining and marine transportation issues, while the main gainers were transportation equipment and insurance shares. ■