Tokyo stocks finish above 9000 for 1st time in 4 weeks

Tokyo stocks rose for the fifth day on Friday, with a key index breaching the threshold 9,000 mark for the first time in four weeks on the yen's depreciation. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) gained 19.82 points, or 0.22 percent, from Thursday to 9,002.68, the highest finish since Sept. 25. The index rose for a fifth consecutive session for the first time since March 13-19. The broader Tokyo Stock Price Index, which includes all First Section issues on the TSE, advanced 2.09 points, or 0.28 percent, to 754.39, with notable gainers including utilities and machinery sectors. A weaker yen against the US dollar and euro benefited exporter shares, as it boosts Japanese exporters' overseas profits when repatriated.  In the currency markets, at 4 p.m. (0700 GMT), the US dollar traded at JPY 79.30-34 against JPY 79.23-33 in New York and JPY 79.09-10 in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Thursday.