Franklin FTSE Japan ETF

FLJP

Market cap $3.78B

The Bank of Japan should provide a clear roadmap for policy normalisation following an anticipated interest rate increase in June to help stabilise the government bond market, according to Arihiro Nagata, global markets chief at Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group. Speaking to Reuters, Nagata said he expects the BOJ to raise interest rates at its June 15-16 policy meeting and stressed that the central bank's communication regarding future policy moves will be closely watched by financial markets.

The Bank of Japan should lay out a clear path for policy normalisation after a widely expected rate hike this month ​to stabilise the bond market, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group's global markets chief, Arihiro ‌Nagata, told Reuters.

Asian equities fell on Tuesday as doubts over a Middle East ceasefire weighed on risk appetite, offsetting optimism around artificial intelligence funding and potential listings. MSCI's Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan slipped 0.6% after a volatile open.

Japan stock have already had a record run, and one of the largest Wall Street banks believes their rally is far from over yet. Goldman Sachs strategists have raised their 12-month target for the benchmark Topix index to 4,400, indicating potential upside of more than 10% from current levels.

Japan must promote usage of yen-based stablecoins for settlement in Asia and create a legal framework to allow trading of ​crypto exchange-traded funds (ETF), a ruling party panel said in a proposal ‌to the government on Monday.

Japan's government is preparing a supplementary budget of around 3 trillion yen, or about $19 billion, to replenish reserves and fund fuel and utility subsidies amid higher energy costs. Takaichi has said overall bond issuance will remain unchanged, even though the extra spending will be financed with deficit-covering bonds.

Some Japanese financial institutions have been granted access to OpenAI's GPT-5.5 model to help strengthen their defences against cyberattacks, Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Friday. Katayama described the development as a significant advancement for Japan's financial sector following a meeting in Tokyo with Jason Kwon, OpenAI's chief strategy officer.

Japanese banks are, in a historic shift, competing to shore up their deposit base as lending ​opportunities grow and consumers, seeking to beat inflation, shift their savings into a booming stock market.

Foreign investors continued buying Japanese equities for an eighth consecutive week through May 23, supported by easing oil prices and growing optimism around artificial intelligence-related shares. According to data released by Japan's Ministry of Finance on Thursday, foreign investors purchased a net 1.08 trillion yen ($6.77 billion) worth of Japanese stocks during the week ended May 23.

Japan Investment Corp (JIC), a state-backed fund, is considering ‌selling JSR, two people familiar with the matter said, two years after it took the maker of chipmaking materials private in a $6 billion deal.