Tokyo stocks closed marginally higher Thursday on investor hopes for solid earnings results from corporations for the fiscal first half, but the market's top side was capped as some opted for profits following stocks' recent advances.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 32.16 points, or 0.15 percent, from Wednesday to end the day at 21,739.78.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 2.47 points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 1,753.90.

Market strategists here said that following some upbeat corporate earnings here from bellwether firms, expectations were high among investors for further solid earnings reports.

They added that firms reporting earnings this season for the fiscal first-half that ended last month attracted buying.

Buying was supported by indications that monetary policy may be tightened in the United States and Europe, with the European Central Bank (ECB) likely to announce it will rein in its monthly bond purchases in a sign of regional economic recovery.

Brokers here said that along with impetus for buying, as the yen will weaken on tightened policy in major overseas economies, a boon for exporters here, some investors hit the sidelines ahead of the ECB's meeting later in the day.

In addition, analysts here said that while Europe and the United States' tightening of policy will weaken the yen and further boost expectations for corporate earnings here, some investors opted to secure profits following stocks here advancing recently.

Securities, oil and coal product, and transportation equipment-linked issues comprised those that gained the most by the close of play, and rising issues beat falling ones by 1,096 to 827, on the First Section, with 109 ending the day unchanged.

On the main section on Thursday, 1,590.08 million shares changed hands, dropping from Wednesday's volume of 1,968.43 million shares.

The turnover on the penultimate trading day of the week came to 2,633.3 billion yen (23.17 billion U.S. dollars).