Tokyo stocks open mixed on soft yen, U.S. shares' retreat

TOKYO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks opened mixed Wednesday, as some investors were motivated by the yen's retreat against the U.S. dollar, while others were more risk adverse following some U.S. shares closing lower overnight.

As of 9:15 a.m. local time, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 39.31 points, or 0.17 percent, from Tuesday to 22,828.69.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, edged up 0.67 points, or 0.04 percent, to 1,815.85.

Issues that declined the most in the first few minutes after the opening bell comprised construction and service issues, while those that led gainers included insurance and bank-linked issues.