Nikkei edges down as Obama speech fails to impress

TOKYO, Sept 9 (Reuters) - The Nikkei benchmark edged lower
on Friday and is expected to stay in a narrow range as a keenly
awaited speech from U.S. President Barack Obama was almost in
line with market expectations.

Obama proposed a $447 billion jobs package on Thursday to
help boost the U.S. economy, challenging Congress to pass
legislation made up largely of tax cuts for workers and
businesses.

The benchmark Nikkei shed 0.6 percent to 8,739.82,
while the broader Topix index was down 0.3 percent at
755.33.

(Reporting by Ayai Tomisawa; Editing by Joseph Radford)