Nikkei flat as caution prevails before U.S. data

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By Taiga Uranaka

TOKYO, June 17 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei stock average ended flat on Tuesday, as investors locked in the previous day's sharp gains while they awaited U.S. economic data to gauge inflationary pressure and its effect on investor sentiment.

The benchmark Nikkei moved in a narrow range between positive and negative territory, as falls were kept in check by a rise in bank shares after the head of Lehman Brothers gave Wall ...