Japanese shares inched higher Thursday morning, led by carmakers, after overnight gains on Wall Street and European markets, dpa reported. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 10.56 points, or 0.11 per cent, to trade at 9,571.57 at the end of the morning session at 11:30 am (0230 GMT). The broader Topix index was up 2.45 points, or 0.3 per cent, at 811.94. Overseas rallies helped exporters such as carmakers advance in the morning. Shares in Honda Motor Co jumped 1.39 per cent, Toyota Motor Corp gained 0.61 per cent and Nissan Motor Co climbed 0.36 per cent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.69 per cent overnight after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke indicated he was prepared to do more to stimulate the economy if necessary. On currency markets at 11:30 am in Tokyo, the dollar traded at 81.22-24 yen, down from Wednesday's 5 pm quote of 81.29-31 yen. The euro was quoted at 107.41-44 yen, little changed from 107.36-40 yen late Wednesday, and at 1.3222-3227 dollars, up from 1.3207-3209 dollars.
