Tokyo stocks open lower on stronger yen

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened lower on Friday extending falls on Wall Street as the yen firmed against the dollar after the US president's comments on the Fed's rate policy.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.19%, or 42.67 points, to 22 722.01 in early trade, while the broader Topix index was down 0.15%, or 2.57 points, at ¥1 747.02.

"Following falls in US shares and ahead of the weekend, sales for position-adjustment reasons are seen overwhelming the market," SBI Securities said in a commentary.

The dollar fetched ¥112.48 in early trade, little changed from ¥112.43 in New York but down from ¥112.85 in Tokyo late on Thursday.

In New York, the dollar took a hit after President Donald Trump expressed disappointment in higher Federal Reserve interest rates.

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Trump, in part of an interview aired by CNBC, broke with the long-established executive branch practice of not commenting on the Federal Reserve's decisions out of respect for its independence.

"I'm not thrilled," Trump told the network in an interview excerpt aired on Thursday. "Because we go up and every time you go up they want to raise rates again."

In Tokyo, semiconductor-related shares dropped, with Advantest trading down 2.13% at ¥2 470 and Tokyo Electron down 2.37% at ¥18 870.

China-linked shares were also lower, with construction machinery maker Komatsu trading down 0.49% at 3 230 and industrial robot maker Fanuc down 0.35% at ¥21,285.

In New York, the Dow ended down 0.5% at 25 064.50.