TOKYO, April 26 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average is expected to trade in a narrow range on Tuesday as investors await major corporate earnings results, while a slightly stronger yen may hurt sentiment in exporters.
Analysts said Nintendo Co's poor earnings may drag down its share price but the impact on the overall stock market should be limited.
"There are more earnings coming up, and the market is also carefully awaiting the outcome of the Federal Reserve meeting this week," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager at SMBC Nikko Securities.
Nintendo posted its second straight fall in annual profit on Monday with sales of its ageing Wii games console slowing and the March 11 earthquake weighed on Japanese consumer spending.
Also making investors reluctant to wager big bets is the April 26-27 Federal Open Market Committee meeting as market participants will look to the post-meeting news conference by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday to see how the central bank to exit its ultra-loose policy.
"If the Nikkei were to move in either direction, it would be after the FOMC meeting," Nishi said.
Nikkei futures in Chicago <2NKc1> pointed to a slightly
lower open at 9,660, down 20 points from the Osaka close
The benchmark Nikkei closed down 0.1 percent at 9,671.96 on Monday, while the broader Topix index fell 0.2 percent to 840.68.
Volume fell to its lowest this year, with 1.46 billion shares changing hands on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's first section.
Analysts said the Nikkei is expected to move between 9,600 and 9,750 on Tuesday, with mid-term resistance seen at its 200-day moving average of 9,807. ----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2257 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG
S&P 500 1335.25 -0.16% -2.130
USD/JPY 81.87 0.07% 0.060
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.3627 -- -0.032
SPOT GOLD 1505.99 -0.16% -2.460
US CRUDE
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STOCKS TO WATCH
-- Nintendo
Nintendo said it would launch a successor to its Wii game console in 2012 as it struggles to win back users from rivals Microsoft and Sony and seeks to reverse a slump in profits. [ID:nL3E7FP0W4]
Nintendo said on Monday it expects profits to remain almost flat in the current financial year, despite the launch of its much-touted 3D-capable handheld games device, whose sales in Japan have been overshadowed by the March 11 earthquake.
-- KDDI Corp
KDDI said Monday its group net profit in the financial year ended March 31 rose 19.9 percent from the previous year to 255 billion yen ($3.1 billion) due partly to lower operating costs and reduced tax payments.
-- Toyota Motor , Honda Motor , Nissan Motor
Last month's huge production cuts will translate into roughly 1 trillion yen in lost revenues for Toyota Motor and other Japanese automakers, the Nikkei business daily said, citing its own estimates.
Taking the biggest hit of 617.1 billion yen was Toyota, which includes group firms Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors Ltd. . Honda Motor and Nissan Motor followed with 114.5 billion yen and 113 billion yen, respectively, the Nikkei said. ($1 = 81.845 Japanese Yen) (Reporting by Ayai Tomisawa; Editing by Michael Watson)