Tokyo stocks ended higher Wednesday after the US Federal Reserve announced a plan to ease a credit crunch, according to dpa. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average soared 202.85 points, or 1.6 per cent, to close at 12,861.13. The index rose nearly 3 per cent in early trading. The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also up 19.98 points, or 1.62 per cent, at 1,255.13. The US Federal Reserve on Tuesday spearheaded a new coordinated push by world central banks to bolster global economic confidence by announcing moves to pump 200 billion dollars into the financial system of Japan's largest export market to jump-start lending. On currency markets at midday (0300 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 103.02-07 yen, up from Tuesday's 5 pm quote of 102.18-21 yen. The euro was quoted at 1.5352-57 dollars, almost unchanged from Tuesday's 5 pm quote of 1.5353-56 dollars, and at 158.20-25 yen, up from 156.91-95 yen.
