iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF

HEWJ

Market cap $725M

Lately, the land of the rising sun has been the land of the falling yen. While single-country equity exposure to Japan has provided investors with relative outperformance year-to-date (YTD), they appear to be better off shedding the currency drag.

The Nikkei 225 Index traded sideways on July 8 as artificial intelligence (AI) stocks rebounded after Tuesday's sharp sell-off. The index was trading at 39,770, about 7% below its highest level this year.

Reports that Japan's Ministry of Finance is abandoning its custom of telegraphing intervention risks and may instead enter the FX market to surprise market participants, has traders on edge.

The Nikkei 225 Index has sold off recently as investors book profits following its strong rally to the all-time high of 72,781 in June. It was trading at 69,190 on Thursday, up by 37% this year.

Japanese equities have hit all-time highs at a pace not seen since 1989.

A shift in Japan's large pool of household financial assets could reshape capital markets, one analyst says.

Japan's recovery from the “lost decades” of deflation and meager growth has been an on-again, off-again phenomenon. We believe that Japan should reach the “cruising altitude” phase this year and beyond, with a revised code to push companies to make better use of their cash and other assets in helping drive long-term growth.

The Nikkei 225 Index jumped and neared its all-time high as memory and semiconductor companies like Kioxia, Tokyo Electron, Advantest, and Keyence Corporation soared. It jumped by over 5% to 71,950, a few points below the all-time high of 72,781.

The Nikkei 225 Index has slumped over the past two consecutive days, reaching a low of 68,863 as fears of a technology bubble intensify. It has slipped by 5.5% from its high this week, with key technology companies in the red.

Jayati Bharadwaj, head of FX strategy at TD Securities, discusses the potential for yen intervention as the currency trades near its weakest level in four decades against the dollar. She speaks on “Bloomberg Surveillance.