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Japanese stocks head higher
(CNN) -- Japanese stocks are firmer in early trade Friday after two days of losses, helped by a rise on Wall Street and solid U.S. jobs data. That is encouraging investors to return to Sony, NEC and other tech-related issues. Carmakers are also higher, led by a 2 percent gain for Honda Motor. Toyota is up 1.5 percent. Exporters have been hurt by the recent strength of the yen, which hit a six-year high against the dollar this week. The dollar is trading at 109.21 in Tokyo, a little stronger than Thursday's close of about 109.06. The Nikkei 225 average is up 1.46 percent at 10,685.09 after dipping 0.10 percent on Thursday. The broader Topix index is up 1.01 percent to 1068.17. Consumer electronics leader Sony is 2.35 percent ahead to 3920 yen. NEC is up 2 percent to 876 yen. Big banks are also firmer, led by a 3 percent gain for SMFG to 598,000 yen. Kyocera, the world's largest maker of ceramic packages for semiconductors, is up 1.23 percent at 6610 yen. Investors in Japan are awaiting political developments ahead of a three-day weekend, with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi having dissolved the lower house Friday to mark the start of the election campaign. Markets in Australia, South Korea and Singapore are also higher in early trade Friday. Australia's S&P/ASX200 is up 0.34 percent to a fresh 16-month high of 3262.8. Big insurer and funds manager AMP is almost 4 percent higher to A$6.90 after announcing its demerger had won in-principle approval from U.K. and Australian regulators. In Seoul, the Kospi is 0.43 percent higher to 739.35. Hyundai Motor is about 1 percent ahead to 34,200 won. The moves in Asia come after gains Thursday on Wall Street, where the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite put on almost 1 percent to 1911.90 and the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.5 percent to 9680.01.
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