Tokyo stocks open lower amid uncertainty

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened lower on Friday in uncertain trade as investors sought fresh clues after US shares surged out of the red.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was down 0.18% or 39.45 points at 21 764.17 in early trade, while the broader Topix index was down 0.08% or 1.34 points at 1 637.63. But both indexes soon edged into positive territory.

"Japanese shares may see some buying following a rally in New York, but it is hard to predict a direction during later trade," Okasan Online Securities said in a commentary.

"Short-term investors may dominate the market and prices may show some volatile movement," it added.

Investors are cautious due partly to uncertainty over Brexit, and simmering trade tensions, analysts said.

The dollar fetched ¥113.54 in early Asian trade, against ¥113.64 in New York.

In Tokyo, Tokyo Electron was down 2.06% at ¥14 730 and Takeda Pharmaceutical was down 2.34% at ¥4 304 but market heavyweight Fast Retailing, the Uniqlo casual wear operator, was up 0.20% at ¥59 430.

In New York, the benchmark Dow rose 0.8%, swinging 500 points from the low point of the day to close at 25 290.39.