TOKYO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average snapped a four-session winning streak on Thursday, with shipping firms leading the retreat, while market participants globally awaited U.S. economic data that could sway the Federal Reserve's rate-hike path.

The Nikkei index closed 0.12% lower at 27,362.75, after rising as much as 0.4% earlier in the session. The broader Topix slipped 0.12% to 1,978.40.

"No major firms announced their outlook in the previous session, so investors saw little clues today," said Chihiro Ohta, assistant general manager at the investment research and investor services at SMBC Nikko Securities.

"Global investors cannot make a move ahead of major U.S. economic indicators."

The S&P 500 ended nominally lower on Wednesday as a string of corporate earnings ran the gamut from downbeat to dismal, reviving worries over the economic impact of the Fed's restrictive policy.

Investors are now awaiting the fourth-quarter U.S. GDP data due at 1330 GMT, which could set the tone for the Fed's upcoming policy meeting.

In Japan, chip-related Tokyo Electron and Advantest lost 1.81% and 2.24%, respectively, dragging the Nikkei the most.

Air-conditioning maker Daikin Industries slipped 1.83% and audio equipment maker Sony Group lost 1.29%.

CyberAgent lost 0.56% in seesaw trade after reporting a 5 billion yen ($38.64 million) net loss for the quarter ended December.

Shares of the media and game firm were volatile during the soccer World Cup last month as investors eyed profitability in its media business, which streamed all matches on its Abema platform for free.

The real estate sector gained 1.11% to become the top performer among the 33 industry sub-indexes on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Shipping firms lost 2.82% to become the worst performer.

($1 = 129.3900 yen) (Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)