Tokyo - Tokyo stocks gave up early gains and ended the morning trading lower Thursday, pressured by mounting worries about corporate earnings in Japan.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average declined 78.93 points, or 0.59 per cent, to 13,288.86.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was down 12.62 points, or 0.97 per cent, to 1,290.37.

The Tokyo market opened higher after Wall Street's overnight gains, but investors' anxiety over Japanese firms' earnings later dampened the sentiment.

Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the breakdown of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks over disputes on the opening of agricultural markets but vowed to push for an eventual agreement.

"It is very regrettable that an accord on modalities was not reached at a WTO ministerial meeting despite more than a week of all-out effort by ministers," Fukuda said in a statement.

Tokyo - Japan's industrial production fell for the first time in two months as the auto industry had weak output, the government said Wednesday.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened higher Wednesday on Wall Street's overnight rebound and a weaker yen.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 156.26 points, or 1.19 per cent, to 13,315.71.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also up 13.13 points, or 1.02 per cent, to 1,294.77.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 108.06-09 yen, up from Tuesday's 5 pm quote of 107.55-58 yen. A weaker yen helps boost Japanese firms' earnings overseas.

Tokyo- Matsushita Electric Industrial Co saw a record net profit in the April-June period on increases in its overseas sales, mainly flat-panel televisions, the company said Tuesday.

The Japanese home electronics company saw its net profit rise 85.8 per cent in the three months through June 30 from the same period last year to a record 73.03 billion yen (678.06 million dollars).

Matsushita also attributed the sharp profit increase to the cost-cutting efforts, which more than offset negative factors such as the yen's rise and surging materials costs, the company said.