(Corrects paragraph 3 to ... highest close since Oct. 3 ... not Oct. 5) TOKYO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average hit a 10-month closing high on Friday but pared earlier gains as falls in Chinese stock markets led nervous investors to lock in profits even as evidence grew of an improving global economy.
Trend Micro jumped after Nomura Securities hiked its rating on the maker of computer antivirus software to "buy" from "neutral", while Hitachi Construction Machinery surged after Mitsubishi UFJ Securities raised its rating.
The benchmark Nikkei rose 0.8 percent or 80.14 points to 10,597.33, its highest close since Oct. 3. It earlier rose as far as 10,630.38.
The broader Topix rose 0.5 percent. (Reporting by Elaine Lies)