Tokyo stocks seen lower on techs, Sony may gain

TOKYO, July 28 (Reuters) Tokyo stocks are expected to fall on Friday, with shares of technology firms paring recent gains after similar US shares were hit by a sell-off.

Shares of Sony Corp. may rise after the electronics and entertainment conglomerate swung to a better-than-expected quarterly operating profit, driving its U.S.-traded receipts up 6 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.

The fall in U.S. technology stocks was likely to weigh on the tech-sensitive Nikkei, said Toru Otsuka, deputy general manager of investment information at Mizuho Investors Securities.

''The market is likely to give up yesterday's gains,'' Otsuka said.

''While shares of individual firms with good earnings such as Sony ... will likely be bought, technology stocks in general are likely to be hit with selling pressure.'' Companies to report quarterly earnings later in the day include NTT DoCoMo Inc., Tokyo Electron Ltd. and Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd.

Chicago-traded Nikkei futures contracts showed the market was likely to be little changed. Nikkei September futures closed at 15,190, up 10 points from the Osaka finish.

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei average is expected to move between 15,050 and 15,250 on Friday, market participants said.

It rose 1.99 percent on Thursday.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, led by a sell-off in technology shares. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 0.77 percent.

REUTERS SK BST0534