TOKYO: Tokyo stocks fell 0.50 percent Friday morning as the yen firmed against the dollar following another round of discouraging US data, with investors gearing up for earnings season.
The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 100.06 points to 19,785.71 by the break, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares was down 0.07 percent, or 1.18 points, at 1,598.24.
Tokyo s slide followed a limp session on Wall Street with the dollar taking a hit as new figures data disappointed, narrowing the likelihood of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in early summer.
Government data showed Thursday that US housing starts rose less than expected in March, while initial jobless claims, a sign of the pace of layoffs, increased well above estimates to their highest level in six weeks.
News Wednesday that the Chinese economy grew at its slowest quarterly pace in six years has rekindled concerns about future growth — China is a major market for Japanese goods — while investors were also nervously watching the slow progress in Greece s bailout talks.
