The key Tokyo stock gauge slipped after hitting a six-and-a-half-year intraday high on Thursday.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended the day at 17,458.30, down 49.10 points, or 0.28 percent, after hitting the day's high of 17,617.64 -- a level unseen since July 4, 2000.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange fell 9.21 points, or 0.53 percent, to 1,729. 40.

Nippon Steel was the most heavily traded issue by both value and volume, losing 8 yen to 684 yen.

On the First Section, declining issues outnumbered advancing issues 1,310 to 330, with 73 shares ending the day unchanged.

Trading volume on the main section decreased to 2,310.93 million shares from Wednesday's 2,669.57 million shares.

The TSE's Second Section index rose 12.36 points, or 0.29 percent, to 4,205.93 on a volume of 75.94 million shares. On the Osaka Securities Exchange, the near-term March Nikkei 225 index futures contract fell 50 points to 17,480.

Source: Xinhua