Tokyo stocks flat in early trading, buying offset by Mideast caution

Tokyo stocks gave up gains and turned flat in early trading Tuesday, as buying of tech issues following gains among their U.S. counterparts was offset by selling amid uncertainty over the conflict in the Middle East.

In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 0.57 point from Monday to 30,998.98, after briefly gaining more than 200 points. The broader Topix index was down 8.29 points, or 0.37 percent, at 2,230.52.

On the top-tier Prime Market, gainers were led by air transportation and precision instrument issues, while marine transportation and bank issues were...