Tokyo, March 2 (AFP/APP): Tokyo stocks opened lower on Monday after plunges last week on lingering worries over the spread of the new coronavirus, with the yen firming against the dollar. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 1.09 percent or 230.80 points to 20,912.16 in early trade, while the broader Topix index was down 1.26 percent or 18.99 points at 1,491.88. Investors are “watching the number of patients short-term, while governments of relevant countries are readying measures” including economic stimulus, Yukino Yamada, senior strategist at Daiwa Securities, said in a commentary. “In the Tokyo market, concerns are emerging that shares have oversold,” she said, adding that the steady rebound in the market “will be when the number of patients in the world peaks”. The dollar slipped to 107.70 yen in early Asian trade against 108.06 yen in New York on Friday as investors sought safe haven assets including the Japanese currency. In a rare statement, the Bank of Japan said the central bank “will strive to provide ample liquidity and ensure stability in financial markets” to divert risks linked to instability in the global financial and capital markets caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus. In Tokyo, some blue-chip … Continue reading Tokyo stocks open lower on virus worries, strong yen