Tokyo: Stocks open up 0.45%

[TOKYO] Tokyo stocks opened 0.45 per cent higher on Wednesday after the dollar strengthened against the yen, lifting investor sentiment towards Japanese exporters.

The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 89.16 points to 19,729.70 at the start.

The dollar rose against the euro and the yen on Tuesday, gaining back more ground from losses after last week's poor US jobs report.

The dollar bought 120.24 yen early Wednesday, slightly down from 120.32 yen in New York late Tuesday but well above the mid-119 yen range seen in Tokyo earlier Tuesday.

The euro inched up to $1.0829 and 130.23 yen from $1.0813 and 130.11 yen in US trade.

US stocks finished modestly lower Tuesday as cautious sentiment about earnings season offset major acquisition deals involving FedEx and Informatica.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.03 per cent while the broad-based S&P 500 dropped 0.21 per cent.

AFP