TOKYO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed significantly lower on Thursday, snapping a three-day winning streak, as investors took steps to lock in gains amid concerns over corporate performance.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock index, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, ended down 831.60 points, or 2.16 percent, from Wednesday to close the day at 37,628.48.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 47.20 points, or 1.74 percent, lower at 2,663.53.
Market watchers here noted that profit-taking and sell-offs waiting for rebounds dominated Thursday's trading in Tokyo, following a sharp rise of over 907 points the day before. As companies enter the earnings announcement season both at home and abroad, concerns about disappointing earnings of some major companies also fueled selling.
As the yen rapidly depreciated against the U.S. dollar in the forex market ahead of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy meeting, investors also took a wait-and-see attitude, local analysts said.
On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by electronic devices, chemicals and retail issues.
Issues that fell outpaced those that advanced by 1,389 to 234, while 28 ended the day unchanged. ■
