Tokyo stocks open lower on concern over prolonged U.S. rate hikes

Tokyo stocks opened lower Thursday on worries over prolonged monetary tightening by the U.S. Federal Reserve following the central bank’s policy meeting the previous day.

In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 141.33 points, or 0.43 percent, from Wednesday to 32,882.45. The broader Topix index was down 4.50 points, or 0.19 percent, at 2,401.50.

On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by precision instrument, electric appliance and pharmaceutical issues.

At 9 a.m., the U.S. dollar fetched 148.30-33 yen after hitting a 10-month high of 148.36 yen in ...