Tokyo stocks finish above 14,000 for 1st time in three weeks

Tokyo stocks rose for the third day on Wednesday, with a key index ending above the psychologically important 14,000 mark for the first time in about three weeks on the yen's depreciation against the US dollar. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) advanced 75.43 points, or 0.54 percent, from Tuesday to 14,053.87, the highest finish since Aug. 6. The broader Tokyo Stock Price Index, which includes all First Section issues on the TSE, gained 7.12 points, or 0.62 percent, to 1,156.30, with 27 of 33 subindexes aending in positive territory led by sea transport, securities, real estate and steel issues. Investor sentiment was bolstered by a weaker yen, which benefited exporter shares such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Canon Inc., as it improve Japanese exporters' overseas profits when repatriated. In the currency market, at 4:10 p.m. (0910 GMT), the US dollar traded at JPY 99.56-58 against JPY 99.53-63 in New York and JPY 99.63-64 in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Tuesday.