Japanese stocks end jittery session mixed

TOKYO—Japanese stocks ended mixed Wednesday amid jitters about the stability of troubled U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers and the overall financial sector.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 average fell 54.02 points, or 0.44 percent, to 12,346.63. Meanwhile, the broader Topix index inched up 0.07 percent to 1,192.38.

Tokyo shares sagged during morning trading but perked up after Yonhap news agency reported in the afternoon that state-run Korean Development Bank was still considering a stake in Lehman.

That lifted Japanese banking and consumer finance issues. Resona Holdings, Inc. surged 6.02 percent to 118,000 yen, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. jumped 3.21 percent to 867 yen.

But those hopes proved to be false when after the market closed KDB announced it had ended talks about acquiring a stake in the fourth-largest U.S. investment bank "due to differences in transaction terms with Lehman and in consideration of the domestic and international financial market situation."

Lehman Brothers will provide details about its performance during the quarter Wednesday morning New York time. Lehman shares had plunged 45 percent Tuesday in New York.

Among decliners in trading were oil and coal product issues, as well as iron and steel companies.

Nippon Steel Corp., the world's biggest steelmaker, fell 4.22 percent to 454 yen, and Nippon Oil Corp. lost 2.96 percent to 590 yen.

In currencies, the dollar stood at 107.43 yen, up a tad from 107.08 yen late Tuesday. The euro was trading at $1.4154 from $1.4102.