TOKYO, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed flat Thursday as buying on overnight share gains in New York was offset by selling amid concerns over the domestic economic recovery due to an ongoing resurgence in COVID-19 cases, local media reported Thursday.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average finished up 17.49 points, or 0.06 percent, from Wednesday at 27,742.29.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended 0.31 point, or 0.02 percent, lower at 1,935.35.

Gaining issues were led by air transportation, and iron and steel issues, while pulp and paper, and chemical issues led declining issues.

Stocks fluctuated in a narrow range around closing level of the previous day amid a lack of fresh trading cues, with the market driven down by the Japanese government's decision on Wednesday to place eight more prefectures under its COVID-19 state of emergency, as the country tries to prevent an exhausted medical system from collapsing.

"Stocks rebounded from the previous week's low, but the market remained top-heavy as investors eye the U.S. Federal Reserve Jackson Hole symposium (beginning later in the day) to gauge the bank's stance on U.S. economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic," said Masashi Samizo, senior market analyst at SMBC Trust Bank.

Meanwhile, the market's response was limited to the act of suspending the use of around 1.63 million Moderna Inc. COVID-19 vaccine doses in Japan over foreign materials confirmed in some unused vials, he added.

Takeda Pharmaceutical, the supplier and distributer of the Moderna vaccine in Japan, fell 0.9 percent.

Toshiba rose 1.7 percent, following reports that U.S. semiconductor giant Western Digital Corp. is in talks to merge with former Toshiba unit Kioxia Holdings Corp. Toshiba currently holds a 40-percent stake in the Japanese chip maker.

Chip-related shares were stimulated by a record close Wednesday for the tech-heavy Nasdaq index for the third day in a row. Tokyo Electron gained 2.1 percent, and Screen Holdings surged 2.7 percent.

On the First Section, advancers outnumbered decliners 1,260 to 826, while 103 finished unchanged.

Trading volume on the main section slipped to 860.75 million shares from Wednesday's 912.54 million shares. Enditem

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