Tokyo stocks open up 0.71%

Tokyo stocks opened 0.71 percent higher on Thursday, boosted by optimism over the US economy and a lower yen. The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 66.85 points at 9,535.69 at the start. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed Wednesday up 0.64 percent at 13,034.49 on upbeat US data. The Institute for Supply Management's monthly index on activity in the services sector rose to 54.7, from 54.2 in October. "The overseas signals are positive while domestically, indications about the December 16 lower house election, which are showing a likely strong opposition Liberal Democratic Party victory, should send the market higher," said SMBC Nikko Securities general manager of equities Hiroichi Nishi. Opposition head Shinzo Abe has called for aggressive monetary easing by the Bank of Japan and pledged active fiscal spending, heartening investors. The dollar remained firm against the yen in early Asian trade, changing hands at 82.42 yen, flat from New York Wednesday afternoon. The euro bought $1.3073 and 107.73 yen in early Asian trade, compared with $1.3064 and 107.71 yen in US trade. -- Dow Jones Newswires contributed to this article --