Tokyo stocks open higher, extending US rallies

TOKYO: Tokyo stocks opened higher on Thursday, extending rallies on Wall Street where recovery hopes supported market sentiment.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 1.34 percent, or 381.75 points, at 28,890.30 in early trade, while the broader Topix index advanced 1.18 percent, or 22.29 points, to 1,910.47.

"Japanese shares are seen starting with gains following US rallies," said Toshiyuki Kanayama, senior market analyst at Monex.

Wall Street investors were encouraged by "hopes for economic recovery as the vaccination process makes steady progress", Kanayama said in a commentary.

An expected further tightening of coronavirus restrictions as cases spike in Tokyo and several Japanese regions could generate worries over economic recovery, analysts added.

The dollar fetched 108.08 yen in early Asian trade, against 108.07 yen in New York late Wednesday.

In Tokyo, Toshiba climbed 3.60 percent to 4,365 yen after reports said US private equity fund Bain Capital is considering acquiring its shares after the Japanese conglomerate said another fund, CVC, would await guidance on its buyout proposal.

Sony was up 0.48 percent at 11,630 yen after a report said Disney has reached an agreement to broadcast and stream films from Sony Pictures after they run on Netflix, gaining access to future instalments of franchises such as "Spider-Man".

On Wall Street, the Dow ended up 0.9 percent at 34,137.31.