Tokyo stocks rise in morning on hopes for slower U.S. rate hikes

Tokyo stocks rose Wednesday morning, as sentiment was boosted by Wall Street gains on hopes that the Federal Reserve may slow the pace of interest rate hikes following weaker-than-expected U.S. economic data. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average climbed 326.87 points, or 1.20 percent, from Tuesday to 27,577.15. The broader Topix index was up 18.13 points, or 0.95 percent, at 1,925.27. On the top-tier Prime Market, gainers were led by pharmaceutical, precision instrument, and service issues.