This file photo shows the Tokyo Stock Exchange. (Mainichi)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks ended slightly higher Wednesday, as sentiment boosted by stronger-than-expected earnings from major U.S. firms overnight was dampened by selling in high-tech issues following higher U.S. Treasury yields.

       The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 40.03 points, or 0.14 percent, from Tuesday at 29,255.55. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 1.10 points, or 0.05 percent, higher at 2,027.67.

       Gainers were led by air transportation, land transportation and securities house issues.

       The U.S. dollar briefly rose to the upper 114 yen zone in the morning, its highest level since November 2017, after a rise in U.S. Treasury yields fueled expectations of a wider interest rate gap between the United States and Japan, dealers said.

       The benchmark Nikkei index climbed over 200 points at one point on optimism following robust U.S. corporate earnings for the July-September quarter, with Nikkei heavyweights and cyclical shares sensitive to economic fluctuations leading market gains, brokers said.

       But the gains were gradually pared later, with investors securing profits by selling some export-related issues that had benefited from the yen's recent drop against the dollar as well as technology shares that had been fast-growing amid lower U.S. Treasury yields.

       "The market was weighed down by selling in high-growth tech stocks as an upward trend in U.S. (Treasury) yields continued" during after-hours trading, said Seiichi Suzuki, chief equity market analyst at the Tokai Tokyo Research Institute.

       "Some investors also refrained from making bold moves ahead of Japanese firms' earnings results and a House of Representatives election next week," Suzuki said.

       On the First Section, declining issues outnumbered advancers 1,280 to 790, while 114 ended unchanged.

       Among Nikkei heavyweights, Fast Retailing rose 470 yen, or 0.6 percent, to 75,500 yen, and SoftBank Group advanced 283 yen, or 4.4 percent, to 6,712 yen.

       Chip silicon wafer manufacturers Sumco shed 44 yen, or 2.0 percent, to 2,199 yen, while Shin-Etsu Chemical sagged 210 yen, or 1.1 percent, to 19,510 yen. Chip test system maker Advantest fell 30 yen, or 0.3 percent, to 9,250 yen.

       Trading volume on the main section rose to 1,117.80 million shares from Tuesday's 992.79 million shares.

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