Tokyo: Stocks open flat

[TOKYO] Tokyo stocks opened flat on Tuesday after recent advances to 15-year highs as caution over a Greek debt deal grew.

The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 1.47 points, or 0.01 per cent, at 18,468.39 at the start.

The euro remained under pressure as traders waited to see if Greece could complete the agreement reached last week with eurozone partners on its bailout programme.

Athens has delayed sending a list of reforms to its international lenders aimed at obtaining a four-month extension of its bailout.

The euro bought US$1.1332 and 134.73 yen early Tuesday, compared with US$1.1337 and 134.63 yen in New York Monday afternoon.

The dollar was at 118.87 yen against 118.76 yen in US trade.

Among individual stocks, Hitachi eased 0.20 per cent to 833.0 yen in early trade after media reports that the Japanese firm reached a basic accord with Italian aerospace and defence giant Finmeccanica to buy its rail business for 250 billion yen (US$2.1 billion).

On Wall Street on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.13 per cent following lacklustre housing data on the eve of congressional testimony by Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen.

AFP