Tokyo stocks end lower on yen’s rise

Tokyo stocks fell back for the first time in three days Thursday, with the Nikkei Stock Average dropping 94.21 points, or 0.66%, to close at 14,191.48, its low for the day. The yen rose slightly against major currencies, and the Shanghai and Hong Kong markets were bearish, prompting investors to sell stocks in Tokyo, according to (Nikkei) website. The Nikkei average rose in the morning in response to the Dow Jones industrial average in the US and Germany’s DAX index hitting all-time highs overnight. Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) was dumped in the afternoon, finishing 1% lower. The carmaker said Wednesday its operating profit for the year ending March 2014 will likely rise 36% on the year to 1.8 trillion yen.