Nikkei opens sharply lower after plunging on Wall Street

Shares in Tokyo opened sharply lower on Wednesday, sending the Nikkei index down more than 2%, as stronger-than-expected US inflation data led Wall Street to tumble overnight. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average plunged 802.38 points, or 2.80%, from Tuesday to 27,812.25. The broader Topix index fell 43.37 points, or 2.18%, to 1,943.20. In the leading core market, declines were led by issues in electrical appliances, metal products and precision instruments. At 9 a.m., the dollar was worth 144.41-44 yen against 144.57-67 yen in New York…