Tokyo stocks open flat on firming yen, hopes for softer Fed policy

Tokyo stocks opened almost flat Thursday, as a firming yen offset growing optimism that the U.S. Federal Reserve may shift to a softer stance on monetary policy.

In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 2.42 points, or 0.01 percent, from Wednesday to 26,448.42. The broader Topix index was up 1.31 points, or 0.07 percent, at 1,902.56.

On the top-tier Prime Market, gainers were led by bank, nonferrous metal, and mining issues. Decliners included electric power and gas, marine transportation, and land transportation shares.

At 9 a.m., the U.S. dollar fetched 131...