Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Index has reached its highest level since the nation's bubble economy era over three decades ago, reflecting investor confidence in the country's recovery from a prolonged battle with deflation.
Closing at 33,763.18 in Tokyo, the blue-chip gauge surged 1.2%, marking a level not seen since March 1990. This ascent was driven by a rebound in technology shares and a decline in Treasury yields. The more comprehensive benchmark, the Topix index, also saw a gain of 0.8%.
Both the Nikkei 225 and Tokyo Stock Price Index (Topix) recorded an annual gain of over 25% in the previous year, marking their best performance in a decade. In 2023, these indices were among the world's top gainers, propelled by the Japanese authorities’ efforts to enhance shareholder value as long-standing deflation began to give way to mild price gains.
A historically weak Japanese yen rate, despite a recent uptick, has provided support to exporters. Optimism surrounding Warren Buffett's increased investment in Japan’s largest trading companies has also boosted positive sentiment in the world's third-largest economy.
Ayako Sera, a market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (SMTB) told Bloomberg that the Nikkei’s return to a three-decade high wasn’t that surprising, given signs of corporate governance reform and the optimism surrounding Warren Buffett’s increased investment in Japan:
“Japanese stocks have been cheap for a long time. It’s important to watch if the Nikkei can reach a record high now. The 40,000 yen level still seems quite far away”.
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While inflation in Japan hasn't reached the levels seen in many other Asian economies and is actually showing signs of slowing, it marks a sea change from the persistent price declines that weighed on corporate earnings in the past. The Bank of Japan (BoJ) responded to the deflationary environment by taking an ultra-loose monetary policy stance: lowering interest rates below zero and purchasing assets from the market to stimulate demand
Market indicators suggest that traders anticipate the BOJ to end its negative interest-rate policy later this year, even though speculation of an imminent move this month has subsided. While a central bank policy tightening might initially impact shares negatively as borrowing costs rise, it could benefit banks by improving lending margins.
DeNA Co. played a role in propelling the Nikkei 225's upward momentum by disclosing that its equity-method affiliate, Go Inc., a mobility company, is making preparations to go public. DeNA shares gained 9.13%, closing at 1,511.50 yen on the day.
Nintendo shares also emerged as a big gainer, with Bernstein & Co. upgrading the Japanese gaming giant from “Market perform” to “Outperform” — a move prompted by positive industry feedback about a new console, the Nintendo Switch 2, anticipated for release later this year.
Other gainers included Sony Corporation (up 1.29% at 13,340 yen), Omron Corp (+6.22% at 6,677.00 yen) and Advantest Corp. (+6.05% at 4,945.00 yen).
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Past performance is not indicative of any future results. This information is provided for informative purposes only and should not be construed to be investment advice.
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