News & Insights

In July, the Japanese equity market saw significant fluctuations. At the start of the month the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices reached new historic highs riding the wave of the weak yen and strong US markets but ultimately ended the month in negative territory, dropping by 1.2% and 0.5% respectively. The end of the month saw the yen surge to the 149 yen to the dollar level, a sharp increase from the 38 year low of 161.7 yen/dollar that was seen at the start of the month.

[EXTERNAL LINK] SuMi TRUST AM's Chief Strategist, Katsutoshi Inadome shares his views on the likelihood of an interest rate hike ahead of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy meeting.

[External Link] In this piece published by Wealth Briefing, Katsunori Ogawa, Chief Portfolio Manager of the Sakigake High Alpha at SuMi TRUST AM, discusses the opportunities and challenges that are presented by Japan's current tourism boom.

In June, Japanese equities saw gains with the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices rising by 1.3% and 2.8% respectively, driven by factors such as semiconductor stock rebounds, dividend reinvestment, the weak yen and positive sentiment regarding the performance of US equities. There was some volatility earlier in the month, but the market stabilised towards the end.

Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) is hosting "Japan Weeks 2024" - a series of events aiming to boost Japan's profile as a leading asset management and global financial centre with the participation of overseas investors and asset management firms. Investment Director Oki Shiozawa introduces the series of events scheduled this Autumn and explains why overseas investors should visit Japan.

[EXTERNAL LINK] SuMi TRUST AM's Senior Strategist, Katsutoshi Inadome shares his views on the Bank of Japan's decision to scale down its bond-buying programme and the state of inflation in Japan.

In May the Japanese Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices experienced a minor rebound, rising by 0.2% and 1.1% respectively. In the first third of the month small caps performed above expectations but from mid-May onwards larger names dominated. April-May also saw an increase of 1.6 times in share buybacks compared to the same time last year, this comes amid Japanese companies gaining an increased awareness of returning value to shareholders.

[EXTERNAL LINK] In this piece with Forbes Advisor, SuMi TRUST AM's Chief Strategist, Hiroyuki Ueno discusses the recent rise in Japanese equities and his outlook for the future, touching on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's reforms and the new NISA.

[EXTERNAL LINK] In this piece with Responsible Investor, SuMi TRUST AM's Senior Stewardship Officer, Seiji Kawazoe discusses the progress of The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) in Japan and SuMi TRUST AM's engagement efforts.