Tokyo: Stocks plunge more than 5% by break

[TOKYO] Tokyo stocks dived more than five per cent on Friday morning, playing catch-up with a global sell-off after a one-day holiday amid deepening worries about the world economy.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange plunged 5.34 per cent, or 838.74 points, to 14,874.65 at the lunch break, as a stronger yen hammered exporters.

The broader Topix index of all first-section shares declined 5.55 per cent, or 70.25 points, to 1,194.71.

AFP