Tokyo stocks lose ground in morning on yen's rise

TOKYO, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks erased earlier gains Wednesday morning as the yen's ongoing appreciation against the U.S. dollar weighed on exporters and the broader market.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 135.39 points, or 0.64 percent, from Tuesday to 21,109.29.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, fell 12.31 points, or 0.72 percent, at 1,704.47.

Marine transportation, precision instrument and insurance-linked issues comprised those that lost the most by the morning break.