TOKYO: Tokyo stocks opened down 0.52 percent on Thursday after a mixed performance by New York shares overnight.   The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which soared 1.24 percent on Wednesday, opened down 44.45 points at 8,515.66. The Nikkei was expected to trade in a narrow range, SMBC Nikko Securities general manager of equities Hiroichi Nishi told Dow Jones Newswires. The yen's strength against the euro was likely to impact exporters such as machinery makers and other manufacturers, Nishi added. The euro bought 99.19 yen and $1.2932 in early Asian trade, compared with 99.28 yen and $1.2941 in New York late Wednesday. The dollar was at 76.70 yen, almost unchanged from New York. US blue chips pushed higher Wednesday but the broader market was virtually flat amid hesitant trade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.17 percent at 12,418.42 while the broader S&P 500 was flat, adding just 0.02 percent to 1,277.30. Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011