Nikkei falls over 2 pct to below 17,000

Tokyo, Apr 24: The Nikkei average fell more than 2 percent to below 17,000 on Monday, as a rise in the yen hurt Toyota Motor Corp. and other exporters.

Electronics conglomerate NEC Corp. sank 4.6 percent to 833 yen following its profit warning late last week, and robot maker Fanuc Ltd. fell almost 2 percent ahead of its annual earnings due after the market closes.

The Nikkei average was down 2.34 percent or 407.11 points at 16,996.85 as of 0035 GMT. The TOPIX index was down 1.96 percent at 1,722.04.

Reuters