TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average ended higher on Friday after the central bank opted to leave policy settings unchanged, signalling that a decision on paring bond purchases would come next month.

The Nikkei finished the day 0.2% higher at 38,814.56. It had ended the morning session flat, with the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) announcement coming during the midday recess.

The broader Topix extended morning gains to be up 0.5% at the close.

The Topix banking index shed early gains to close 0.5% lower, as the BOJ’s go-slow approach suggested an even longer period of ultra-low rates, which have crushed margins for lending and trading.