Tokyo stocks open higher with eye on China data

Tokyo stocks opened higher on Friday with investors heartened by rallies in US shares but eyeing Chinese economic indicators due later in the day.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 1.15 percent or 229.98 points at 20,144.76 in early trade, while the broader Topix index edged up 0.86 percent or 12.50 points to 1,459.05.

"The Japanese market is supported by US rallies, while China's industrial production and retail sales due at 11 am (0200 GMT) are in focus," Toshiyuki Kanayama, senior market analyst at Monex, said in a commentary.

The dollar fetched 107.37 yen in early Asian trade, against 107.27 yen in New York.

In Tokyo, blue-chip exporters were higher with Sony rallying 1.83 percent to 6,918 yen, Toyota trading up 1.11 percent at 6,312 yen, and chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron up 3.15 percent at 22,770 yen.

Wall Street stocks finished higher Thursday as beaten-down banking shares rallied, while another spike in jobless claims was better than market expectations.

In New York, the Dow ended up 1.6 percent at 23,625.34.