TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks ended flat Monday as investors remained cautious before Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was confirmed winner of the first lower house runoff vote to choose Japan's leader in three decades.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 32.95 points, or 0.08 percent, from Friday at 39,533.32. The broader Topix index finished 2.47 points, or 0.09 percent, lower at 2,739.68.

On the top-tier Prime Market, gainers were led by nonferrous metal and rubber product issues, while top decliners were chemical and oil and coal product issues.

The U.S. dollar strengthened to the upper 153 yen range in Tokyo, as the U.S. currency drew buying on the view that economic policies under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump could spur inflation and lift interest rates, dealers said.

At 5 p.m., the dollar fetched 153.63-65 yen, compared with 152.60-70 yen in New York and 152.63-65 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Friday.

The euro was quoted at $1.0689-0691 and 164.22-26 yen against $1.0714-0724 and 163.52-62 yen in New York and $1.0779-0780 and 164.53-57 yen in Tokyo late Friday afternoon.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond ended at 0.995 percent, down 0.005 percentage point from Friday's close. The debt was bought, sending yields lower and tracking a fall in long-term U.S. Treasury yields late last week.

On the stock market, the Nikkei index initially tracked gains on Wall Street where indexes hit all-time highs Friday. But it was mostly directionless amid a cautious mood as Japanese parliament voted to select a prime minister in the afternoon.

While Prime Minister Ishiba eventually won as expected, the vote went to a runoff that concluded after stock trading hours in Tokyo. His ruling coalition previously lost its majority in the powerful House of Representatives in last month's election.

"Looking at the direction of U.S. stocks in recent days, the Tokyo market could have gone higher, but investors were hesitant to buy equities of a country with anxiety over the political situation," said Toshikazu Horiuchi, an equity strategist at IwaiCosmo Securities Co.

The market was also weighed down by disappointing earnings results from some Japanese firms on Friday and Monday, he said.