TOKYO, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks advanced from the morning bell on Wednesday as investor sentiment was bolstered as the yen dipped against the U.S. dollar, after surging overnight on prospects of an early interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
As of 9:15 a.m., the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average added 73.93 points, or 0.45 percent, from Tuesday to 16,670.44.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, gained 5.08 points, or 0.39 percent, to 1,303.55.
Notable early advancers comprised mining, insurance and textile-linked stocks.
