Jpmorgan Japanese Invest... Share Discussion Threads

[stillbroke] 16/9/2005 09:34

PS summary of Jap bull points recently made on TMF:

[stillbroke] 16/9/2005 08:50

I've a few of these, good way to play the long-awaited Jap recovery. Also hold BGFD, which has performed better and trades on a slightly narrower discount as a result. Complements this well as covers mid and smaller cos, whereas this is mainly large cap.

[grippa] 12/9/2005 14:05

megsta...thanks for the post

[megsta] 12/9/2005 10:51

Markets hail Japan poll landslide

Investors have reacted favourably to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's landslide election win, with shares and the yen rising strongly.
The Nikkei-225 index rose 204.39 points or 1.6%, ending at a four-year high of 12,896.43. The yen strengthened against the dollar from 110.50 to 109.61.

Mr Koizumi's victory gives him a strong mandate for reforms to revive Japan's sluggish economy, analysts say.

Markets also welcomed figures showing faster-than-estimated economic growth.

Japan's gross domestic product grew at a revised quarterly rate of 0.8% in the three months to the end of June, up from the preliminary figure of 0.3%, the government said.

Stagnation

Mr Koizumi called the election after parliament blocked plans to privatise the country's post office, the world's biggest savings bank.

The prime minister hopes that taking Japan Post into the private sector will redirect Japanese savings away from often wasteful public works projects, used by successive governments as a way of giving an artificial boost to the economy, analysts say.

Japan is the world's second-biggest economy, but it has suffered from years of stagnation while its Asian neighbour China has powered ahead.

Michael Hughes, the chief investment officer for Baring Asset Management, told the BBC that selling off Japan Post would help alter Japan's culture of share ownership.

"Shareholder structure has changed and the privatisation of the Japanese post office will just continue that, but at a much faster pace," he explained on the BBC's World Business Report.

"That basically means that shareholders matter more, that their interests count for more."

Another analyst, Morgan Stanley's chief Japan economist Robert Feldman, said the result had left the anti-reform forces "splintered".

"With such a stunning result, passage of the postal reform bills is virtually assured," he said. "The next areas are medical reform, civil service reform, public sector outsourcing and government financial institution reform."

[tiraider] 05/9/2005 08:57

Nikkei's a one way bet at the moment.

[megsta] 05/9/2005 08:38

Tokyo shares close higher on hopes of economic recovery

TOKYO (AFX) - Share prices closed higher, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 at a new four-year high, on growing hopes that the economy will emerge from a prolonged soft patch despite concerns about the impact of high oil prices,
dealers said.

The blue-chip Nikkei 225 Stock Average ended up 34.88 points or 0.3 pct at 12,634.88, its highest close since July 3, 2001. At one stage, it surged to 12,655.15.

[mart] 23/8/2005 12:49

NAV nicely up

[tiraider] 23/8/2005 11:02

It's having a bit of a fight with resistance from Apr 04 (233p) at the moment. Momentum should take it through to next res at 258.

[mart] 22/8/2005 15:41

That reversal didn't last long

[scotswhaehae] 22/8/2005 12:09

Looks good to me!

Good luck all!

[mart] 22/8/2005 12:04

Going well at the moment

[tiraider] 12/8/2005 12:24

I've been waiting for a long time for the NKX to break through 12200; it did it yesterday and confirmed it today. A significant chart break. I bought some JFJ today!

[megsta] 09/8/2005 08:44

TOKYO (AFX) - Share prices closed higher across the board, as the
mid-afternoon release of strong June machinery orders data fortified
expectations of accelerated economic growth.

[megsta] 27/5/2005 11:49

Japan's 7 biggest banks may post strong profits in current fiscal yr - Fitch
27th May 2005

TOKYO (AFX) - Fitch Ratings said it believes Japan's seven largest banks
have put their bad-loan woes behind them, and are poised as a group for a big
improvement in profitability.


...more>>

[megsta] 10/5/2005 11:55

BEIJING (AFX) - A summary of Asian economic and corporate news at 1000 GMT 10th May

JAPAN:
-March household spending unchanged both year-on-year and month-on-month
-Japanese remain net buyers of foreign bonds for fifth straight week - MoF
-Foreigners net sellers of Japanese equities for third straight week
-Japan fixes coupon for 10-yr JGBs at 1.3 pct ahead of auction
-Japan vows to do all it can for national believed kidnapped in Iraq
-Japan says hostage taking in Iraq not affecting Japanese troops' aid role
-Toyota yr to March 2005 net profit 1.17 trln yen vs 1.16 trln
-Toyota made seven of the 10 top-selling car models in Japan in April - JADA
-NTT DoCoMo yr to March net profit 747.6 bln yen vs 650.0 bln
-NTT DoCoMo's operating profit tumbles 29 pct in past year to March
-TEPCO yr to March net profit 226.2 bln yen vs 149.5 bln
-Sumitomo Metal yr to March 2005 net profit 110.9 bln yen vs 30.8 bln
-Sumitomo Metal yr to March net profit up on high steel prices
-Dai Nippon Printing year to March net profit 59.9 bln yen vs 52.97 bln
-Asahi Kasei FY04 net profit 56.4 bln yen vs 27.7
-Asahi Kasei FY04 net profit doubles on robust chemicals ops
-Casio yr to March 2005 net profit 21.5 bln yen vs 14.2 bln
-Mitsubishi Materials yr to March net profit 16.4 bln yen vs loss 5.3 bln
-Toyobo yr to March net profit 12.2 bln yen vs 8.8 bln
-Konami year to March net profit 10.5 bln yen vs 20.1 bln
-Seiko yr to March net profit 5.6 bln yen vs 10.0 bln
-Softbank yr to March 2005 net loss 59.9 bln yen vs loss 107.1 bln
-Softbank unit end-April broadband subscribers 4.803 mln, up 26,000 from March
-Mitsui Engineering yr to March net profit 5.3 bln yen vs 7.9 bln
-Toshiba says no agreement yet in talks with Sony on next-generation DVDformat
-Chugai Pharma to liquidate Shanghai unit; minor impact on earnings
-Chugai Pharma sets up unit in China to provide medical information

[megsta] 10/5/2005 10:19

Toyota Motor posts record 1.17 trln yen net profit for year to March
10th May 2005

TOKYO (AFX) - Toyota Motor Corp, the world's top automaker by market value, posted a record consolidated net profit of 1.17 trln yen for the year to March, up 0.8 pct from the previous year, as expanding sales worldwide helped offset rising raw material costs and currency exchange losses. Operating profit rose 0.3 pct to 1.672 trln yen, on revenue of 18.55 trln yen, up 7.3 pct.

[megsta] 05/5/2005 09:18

JPMorgan Japanese Investment Trust plc (JFJ.L)



JAPAN NIKKEI 225 INDEX:

More details can be found at:

For detailed discussion on the Japanese economy and investment opportunities visit:

THE JAPAN THREAD on ADVFN:

[jpollock] 20/5/2004 11:52

A good summary, thanks. Will probably buy on the next bad day, assuming there is one.

[markth] 19/5/2004 00:04

Here's a recent research note.

Japan and India

These markets have fallen sharply in the last few days on the back of inflation, oil, interest rate, political, and economic slowdown fears. We now ask the question "Is it time to invest and if so, through which route?" 1. Japan Last week we wrote about the fall-off in the Nikkei index but since then, we have seen further falls. Yesterday, the Nikkei hit a low of 10,489 (last seen on February 12th) having peaked at 12,195 on the 26th April. This represents a fall of 1706 points or 14% from its highs. This morning a government report showed that the Japanese economy grew by an annual rate of 5.6% in the first quarter compared with expectations of 3.8%. Furthermore there is evidence of a pick-up in consumer spending which accounted for one-third of the increase. Better job prospects are fuelling an increase in spending and cash will be spent or invested rather than "stay under the mattress" which has been the case for 14 deflationary years. This would add liquidity to the banking system and encourage bank lending which again has remained stagnant. Small companies in particular have suffered from inaccessibility to funds but this situation should improve. However, there are risks to this rosy scenario. Japan's growth is currently fuelled by export-led growth and any slowdown in this demand, particularly from China, (Japan's second largest export market) would impact future growth. Rate rises are also expected in the US and Europe which, in turn, are expected to curb consumer demand. Nevertheless, growth prospects have finally turned the corner for an economy stagnating for over a decade. Hiring by manufacturers has pushed unemployment to a three year low of 4.7% in March and exports rose 3.9% in the first quarter 2004 from the Q1 2003. Capital spending also increased 2.4% as companies invested in plant and machinery. Major asset managers such as Citibank, Merrill Lynch and Commerzbank regard this recent fall as a buying opportunity and given the economic backdrop, we do not disagree and don't forget the all-time high of the Nikkei was 39,000 in 1989. The most effective way of gaining exposure to the Japanese market is through the JP Morgan Fleming Japanese Investment Trust (JFJ-L) currently quoted at 189p which we flagged in a recent note. The important additional point to make here is that as a constituent of the midcap index, this stock also qualifies as an ISA investment.

[markth] 18/5/2004 00:11

Yes I would like to top up but the volatility scares me....still I suppose that the up-(or down)-side is what one gets for taking on extra risk.

[jpollock] 17/5/2004 11:31

I am tempted to get back in but it still looks very nervy - look at the emerging markets debt and equity - nasty indeed.

[markth] 17/5/2004 09:39

Any Takers. This one's down about 35% in the last few weeks. It's starting to look very cheap, and Japanese fundamentals (apart from the oil price) haven't changed.

[captain swing] 05/5/2004 15:20

Yeah I have got my eye on this as a home for some oil sector profits... was waiting for it, and the Nikkei to "kiss the top" of the old range (11,000 on the Nikkei)... but lets see how this China tightening scare plays out

[jpollock] 05/5/2004 14:42

Thanks for further input weemonkey and markth. Sorry to be so slow to post back. I sold the second half of my holding last week (along with most of my other shares)

Looking to regain japanese exposure at some point tho' - I just think we could retrace 5%-10% around the world as the US rates picture unfolds.