Tokyo stocks end down on weak dollar

Tokyo stocks closed sharply lower Monday, with the Nikkei Stock Average falling 304.27 points, or 2.06%, to end the day at 14,455.80, the largest fall since August 20. On Friday, the Dow Jones industrial average fell in reaction to a deadlock between Democrats and Republicans over the budget for the next fiscal year and other issues, fueling selling in Tokyo Monday from the outset of trading, according to the (Nikkei.com) website. The dollar's fall also prompted investors to sell automakers and other exporters. The trading value on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange was 1.89 trillion yen on a preliminary basis.