Tokyo stocks up in morning on hopes of slower U.S. rate hikes

Tokyo stocks gained modestly Wednesday morning on hopes that the Federal Reserve will slow the pace of interest rates hikes following the release of weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs opening data. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 93.76 points, or 0.35 percent, from Tuesday to 27,085.97. The broader Topix index was up 5.67 points, or 0.30 percent, at 1,912.56. On the top-tier Prime Market, gainers were led by precision instrument, insurance, and mining issues.