Profit-Taking Pressure: Points and Masahiro Ichikawa

profit-taking pressure: On Thursday, the key market gauge gained 89.89 points, according to The Japan Times. The Topix, including all first-section issues, finished down 12.17 points, or 0.75 percent, at 1,611.90, after climbing 9.70 points the previous day. The benchmark Nikkei 225 average sank 186.87 points, or 0.92 percent, to close at 20,033.44. Tokyo stocks met with heavy selling to lock in profits following their recent advance and a plunge on Thursday in U.S. equities, also hit by profit-taking, brokers said. The Tokyo market came under profit-taking pressure triggered by overnight falls in U.S. and European stocks, after attracting purchases recently despite the lack of outstanding buying incentives, said Masahiro Ichikawa, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management Co.'s Economic Research Department. Additionally, the dollar's fall below 112 battered investor sentiment, pushing down the Nikkei average below the 20,000 line for most of Friday's session, brokers said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.