Tokyo stocks open lower on sluggish U.S. shares

Tokyo stocks opened lower Tuesday, pulled down by sharp declines on Wall Street overnight and the selling of automaker shares. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 310.92 points, or 1.08 percent, from Monday to 28,483.58. The broader Topix index was down 17.38 points, or 0.87 percent, at 1,975.21. On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by transportation equipment, electric appliance, and insurance issues. At 9 a.m., the dollar fetched 137.58-59 yen compared with 137.47-57 yen in New York and 136.83-86 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Monday. The euro was ...