Tokyo stocks open higher on Wall St. gains, bargain-hunting

Tokyo stocks opened higher Thursday, lifted by Wall Street gains overnight on a stronger-than-expected U.S. consumer confidence index, and bargain-hunting following a five-day losing streak. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 135.38 points, or 0.51 percent, from Wednesday to 26,523.10. The broader Topix index was up 7.57 points, or 0.40 percent, at 1,900.89. On the top-tier Prime Market, gainers were led by transportation equipment, mining, and real estate issues. At 9 a.m., the U.S. dollar fetched 132.38-41 yen compared with 132.43-53 yen in New York a...