Tokyo stocks fall in morning trade as geopolitical concerns weigh

TOKYO, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks dropped Wednesday morning as a comparatively firm yen compared to the U.S. dollar following geopolitical concerns saw a swathe of issues drop as investors' mood was risk adverse.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 231.83 points, or 1.24 percent, from Tuesday to 18,516.04.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, lost 18.65 points, or 1.25 percent, to 1,476.45.

All industry categories on the main section retreated by the morning break, with transportation equipment, oil and coal product, and securities-linked issues comprising the morning's notable decliners.