Tokyo: Stocks open up 0.81%

[TOKYO] Tokyo stocks opened 0.81 per cent higher on Friday, backed by gains on Wall Street and a breather in the yen's rise against the dollar.

The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 161.59 points to 20,152.41 at the start after four days of losses.

The higher opening came after the tech-rich Nasdaq powered to a fresh record in New York Thursday in a broad rally that withstood signs that a Greek debt default could be moving closer.

The Nasdaq Composite Index surged 1.34 per cent to 5,132.95 with the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 1.00 per cent and the broad-based S&P 500 gaining 0.99 per cent.

The euro was holding up early Friday after rising amid growing uncertainty about Greece's debt crisis after European talks ended without a bailout deal.

The European Union has now called an emergency eurozone summit next week.

The euro bought US$1.1369 and 139.89 yen on Friday against US$1.1371 and 139.78 yen in US trade.

The dollar was at 123.00 yen early Friday against 122.93 yen in New York late Thursday.

Investors were waiting for the outcome of a policy meeting by the Bank of Japan with governor Haruhiko Kuroda set to speak to the press later Friday.

AFP