Nikkei ends flat, profit-taking erases gains after two-week high

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese shares climbed to a two-week high on Monday before giving up gains to end flat in thin trading due to the Easter holidays, while nonbank lenders surged on a media report the government is considering easing rules in the industry. The benchmark Nikkei ended flat at 14,512.38, as profit-taking set in after the average had risen as high as 14,649.50, a level last visited on April 8. The broader Topix fell 0.2 percent to 1,171.40, with trading volume about 27 percent below the average for the past 100 sessions. The new JPX-Nikkei Index 400 shed 0.2 percent to 10,655.42. (Reporting by Hideyuki Sano; Editing by Chris Gallagher)