Tokyo stocks open higher as U.S. shares advance on consumer data

TOKYO, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks opened higher Wednesday tracking overnight gains on Wall Street as solid consumer confidence data for August raised hopes for the health of the U.S. economy.

As of 9:15 a.m., the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average added 107.25 points, or 0.55 percent, from Tuesday to 19,469.80.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, gained 6.60 points, or 0.41 percent, to 1,604.36.

Pharmaceutical, rubber product, and iron and steel-linked stocks comprised those that advanced the most in the opening minutes of trade.