Japan's Nikkei limps towards weekly gain with eyes on central bank meetings

By Rocky Swift

TOKYO, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average was poised for a weekly advance on Friday as investor attention turned towards major central bank decisions next month.

The Nikkei 225 Index .N225 slid 0.2% to 50,084.8. The gauge was poised for a 3.2% weekly advance, but its 4.2% slide this month would be the worst November performance since 2011. The broader Topix .TOPX was up 0.1%.

Trading cues were limited with the U.S. markets shut on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Faster core inflation in Tokyo highlighted chances for a Bank of Japan rate hike next month, while recent strength in U.S. technology shares hinged on whether the Federal Reserve delivers an interest rate cut in December.

"With limited catalysts, aggressive buying activity is limited," said Nomura Securities strategist Maki Sawada.

"Heading into December, the current market focus is on monetary policy developments in Japan and the U.S."

A postponed Fed rate cut "could trigger a decline in major high-tech stocks," she said.

There were 118 advancers on the Nikkei index against 106 decliners. The largest gainer was Okuma 6103.T with a 5.1% rise, followed by Japan Steel Works 5631.T, which added 3.3%.

The largest losers by percentage were Screen Holdings 7735.T, down 1.9%, and NEC 6701.T, which retreated 1.8%.