Japan's Nikkei treads water as central bank meetings, tariff deadline loom

By Kevin Buckland

TOKYO, July 30 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average ended morning trade flat on Wednesday after spending most of the session slightly lower, as investors braced for a three-day period that will see policy decisions from the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan, followed by U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline for trade deals.

The Nikkei .N225 entered the midday break little changed at 40,682.14. Of the index's 225 components, 148 rose and 77 fell.

The broader Topix .TOPX rose 0.35%.

The Fed sets rates on Wednesday, and while policymakers are widely expected to stand pat, investors will be watching closely for signs that an interest rate cut may be on the way later this year.

Similarly, the BOJ is seen keeping policy steady on Thursday, but markets will search for clues on when the central bank is likely to resume rate hikes.

On Friday, most U.S. trade partners that have not agreed deals with Washington will receive higher tariff rates.

"There are still a lot of uncertainties over tariffs, and that's going to limit the upside for stocks," said Maki Sawada, an equities strategist at Nomura Securities.

As a result, "there's no particular sense of direction" in Japanese stock trading currently, she said.

Airline ANA Holdings 9202.T fell 3.8% to be the Nikkei's biggest percentage decliner following its earnings report after the market closed on Tuesday.

Earnings also weighed on chip-testing equipment maker Advantest 6857.T, which slipped 1.8%.

Sumitomo Pharma 4506.T surged nearly 16% to be the biggest percentage gainer.