January 16, 2019: Tokyo stocks closed lower on Wednesday as investors looked for direction, and the currency market remained stable during Asian trade after volatility for the British pound around a Brexit vote.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.55 percent, or 112.54 points, to end at 20,442.75 while the broader Topix index was down 0.32 percent, or 4.95 points, at 1,537.77.

Likewise, Hong Kong stocks fell in the morning Wednesday following a rally of more than two percent the previous day, with dealers also looking ahead to the start of the corporate earnings season.

The Hang Seng Index dipped 0.25 percent, or 66.71 points, to 26,763.58 by the break.

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