Tokyo stocks advance in morning as halt in yen's rise sends exporters higher

TOKYO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks advanced Friday morning as the yen's appreciation against the U.S. dollar coming to a halt lifted the market mood and saw exporter-oriented issues rise.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 86.59 points, or 0.45 percent, from Thursday to 19,440.36.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 5.58 points, or 0.35 percent, to 1,597.78.

Iron and steel, transportation equipment and marine transportation-linked issues comprised those that gained the most by the morning break.