Tokyo stocks traded unevenly on Sept. 3 after the Nikkei Stock Average suffered its sharpest recent decline in the previous session. The Nikkei stood at 64,247.44 at 10:00 a.m., down 78.20 points, after briefly gaining more than 300 points as the rise in long-term interest rates paused. TOPIX rose 25.96 points to 4,107.56. Dip-buying and short-covering (buying back borrowed securities) helped the market recover, while receding expectations for U.S. rate hikes pushed U.S. long-term yields lower and eased pressure on Japanese rates. Persistent inflation, elevated crude oil prices, global slowdown concerns and uncertainty in the Middle East continued to restrain investors. Attention remains focused on interest rates, Middle East developments and oil prices, with unclear rate direction limiting aggressive positioning.