Tokyo stocks lose ground in morning as investors secure gains, Tankan outlook weighs

TOKYO, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks lost ground Friday morning as investors moved to secure gains following the Nikkei's two-day winning streak, with the central bank's Tankan survey showing a negative outlook for large Japanese manufacturers' sentiment also inhibiting buying.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 377.03 points, or 1.73 percent, from Thursday to 21,439.16.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, fell 22.51 points, or 1.39 percent, at 1,594.14.

Mining, precision instrument, and machinery-linked issues comprised those that declined the most by the morning break.