Nikkei climbs to 33-yr high on weak yen in early trading

Tokyo stocks opened up Tuesday, with the Nikkei climbing to its highest level since August 1990, lifted by export-related issues after the yen weakened against the U.S. dollar on expectations of continued interest rate hikes in the United States.

In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 159.51 points, or 0.51 percent, from Monday to 31,246.33. The broader Topix index was up 7.55, or 0.35 point, at 2,183.45.

Gainers included pulp and paper, wholesale trade and service issues.

At 9 a.m., the U.S. dollar fetched 138.67-68 yen compared with 138.54-64 yen in New Y...