TOKYO, Aug 27 — Tokyo’s key Nikkei index opened flat today in cautious trade ahead of the closely watched Jackson Hole conference of global financial authorities later in the day.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up just 0.02 per cent or 4.27 points at 23,295.13 in early trade, while the broader Topix index was down 0.12 per cent or 1.93 points at 1,622.55.

Trade was "subdued” and "seemingly dominated by investors’ wait-and-see attitudes ahead of US Federal Reserve Chair (Jerome) Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole conference,” Toshiyuki Kanayama, senior market analyst at Monex, said in a commentary.

The dollar fetched ¥105.83 (RM4.17) in early Asian trade, against ¥105.97 in New York late yesterday.

Among major shares in Tokyo, Toyota was down 0.88 per cent at ¥7,060, Nikon was down 2.87 per cent at ¥811 and oil and gas developer Japex was down 2.01 per cent at ¥1,805.

But Toray, maker of carbon fibre and other industrial products, was up 0.68 per cent at ¥500.9 and optical devices and healthcare company Fujifilm Holdings was up 0.50 per cent at ¥5,056.

On Wall Street, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 again climbed to new records fuelled by solid earnings and economic data, while the benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average reversed its early doldrums and gained 0.3 per cent to close at 28,331.92. — AFP