TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo stocks opened 0.24 per cent higher on Monday after gains on Wall Street last week and stronger-than-expected Japanese data on machinery orders.

The Nikkei 225 index was up 33.50 points at 14,130.09 at the start.

Just before the market opened, Japanese government data showed machinery orders, a leading indicator of corporate capital spending, jumped 19.1 per cent on-month in March.

The reading far exceeded a median prediction of 6.2 per cent growth in a survey by the Nikkei economic daily. The figure measured private-sector data excluding volatile orders from power companies and for ships.

Wall Street eked out gains on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.27 per cent to 16,491.31 as investors weighed some solid retail earnings reports with mixed economic data.

The dollar was at 101.57 yen early Monday, hardly changed from 101.54 yen in New York Friday afternoon.

The euro bought US$1.3701 and 139.17 yen against US$1.3695 and 139.08 yen.