TOKYO: Japanese shares reversed early losses and ended 0.79 percent higher Wednesday as enthusiasm gathered ahead of Toyota's earnings report.
The benchmark Nikkei gained 111.94 points to 14,337.31, while the Topix index of all first-section shares rose 0.81 percent, or 9.58 points, to 1,192.16.
The headline index spent most of the morning session in the negative territory, but jumped after lunch on a Nikkei news report that Toyota would post strong six-month earnings figures and upgrade its annual forecasts.
After the closing bell, the car giant said it had logged a net profit of one trillion yen ($10.14 billion) up 82.5 percent from a year ago.
It also raised its profit forecast for the year to March to 1.67 trillion yen, from 1.48 trillion yen previously estimated.
The Nikkei had started the day in negative territory, taking a lead from losses on Wall Street after US data added to speculation the Federal Reserve will soon cut back on its stimulus drive.
The central bank has said any pullback on the scheme -- credited with helping prop up global equity markets -- hinged on a firm US economic recovery.
"Buying incentives to push up the indices are absent domestically and globally -- investors are waiting to buy on dips," said Kouji Toda, chief fund manager at Resona Bank.
Growth in the huge US services sector unexpectedly picked up in October, according to figures Tuesday, offering fresh evidence that the world's biggest economy weathered a 16-day government shutdown last month.
In Tokyo share trading, Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing fell 0.77 percent to 32,250 yen after saying domestic store sales in October fell for the first time in six months.
Toyota ended 0.47 percent higher at 6,350 yen.
Mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo added 0.52 percent to 1,556, while rival SoftBank fell 2.08 percent to 7,550.
On currency markets, the dollar stood at 98.59 yen, compared with 98.53 yen in New York. (AFP)
