"People are more willing to buy homes and the housing market can help lift the whole U.S. economy"
- Masaru Hamasaki, Tokyo-based chief strategist at Toyota Asset Management Co.
Japanese stocks closed mixed on Monday as a better than expected housing report from U.S. was partly outweighed by uncertainty over Greece's negotiations with creditors.
The Nikkei 225 dropped 0.01%, or 0.46 points, to 8,765.90, while the broader Topix gained 0.17%, or 1.32, to 756.79.
"People are more willing to buy homes and the housing market can help lift the whole U.S. economy," said Masaru Hamasaki, Tokyo-based chief strategist at Toyota Asset Management Co.
The Greek negotiations are "an unpleasant topic and the fact they are dragging on is of course a negative, but they have until late March to resolve this."
© Dukascopy Bank