iShares MSCI Japan Index (ETF)

• Is Japan On the Verge of Hyperinflation?

  By Salvatore "Sam" Mattera - May 22, 2013 | Tickers: EWJ, SNE, YCS

  Hyperinflation -- to use the phrase implies a level of extremism. Hyperinflations are nasty, socially destructive phenomenons that seem reserved primarily for banana republics. Yet, as I write this, the Nikkei 225 is up about 2% on the session. Year-to-date, it’s up over 50%.

  Meanwhile, the US dollar/Japanese yen exchange rate has broken definitively above 100, a level it has not maintained for long since before the economic crisis more »

• Sony: Will Unlocking Entertainment Business Create Value?

  By Jordan Wathen - May 14, 2013 | Tickers: EWJ, SNE, DXJ

  Sony's in a world of trouble.It's electronics division is in a world of hurt, losing share to up and coming product lines from Samsung, which commands leadership in smartphones and flat panel TVs.

  Sony (NYSE: SNE) has outperformed a general rising trend in Japanese equities over the last six months, as investors consider the valuable hidden assets which include Sony Entertainment's vast library. Here's Sony more »

• Highly Predictable Profits Set to Continue

  By James Catlin - May 14, 2013 | Tickers: HMC, EWJ, SNE, TM

  On March 7 this year, I penned an article entitled "How Currency Exchange Rates Will Impact These Stocks." This outlined how currency exchange fluctuations impact economies, the new Japanese monetary policy, and the highly predictable results. For beginners, I highly encourage you to review that article. I advised readers to purchase major Japanese exporters based on my thesis.

  That theses was and remains: Deliberate inflation policy (now at 2% annually more »

• Ignore Debt and Take a Look at Japan

  By Joshua Bondy - April 28, 2013 | Tickers: FSLR, EWJ, SPWR, DXJ

  Japan's debt load is a popular subject. Its government debt-to-GDP ratio is 211%, far above the U.S.'s debt-to-GDP ratio. Many people have called for a Japanese debt crisis, yet this has failed to materialize. Recent research has shown that countries can have high debt and high growth. The majority of Japan's sovereign bonds are issued in yen, which allows it to grow and maintain control of more »

• Time to Seek Profit Overseas

  By Dana Blankenhorn - April 24, 2013 | Tickers: INP, EWJ, EWW, DXJ

  With the sequester taking a full bite out of the U.S. economy, it's time to look to other countries for profit.

  The “austerity fairy” does not exist, in that it does not produce growth, but it's great for wealthy bondholders, so in the wake of a crisis it's the first policy people turn to. Europe tried it, and it failed. The U.S. is trying it more »

• Japan's Nuclear Exports Are Bullish for Miners and Japan

  By Joshua Bondy - April 22, 2013 | Tickers: CCJ, EWJ, TM

  Japan's Fukushima disaster caused a public backlash and the call for the removal of nuclear power. Japan's previous plans to increase nuclear power to meet half of the country's needs have been scrapped.  The lost growth is a negative for the nuclear industry, but Japan is trying to export its nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. The developing Saudi-Japanese partnership will help to ensure a steady supply of more »

• Japan's Nuclear Exports Are Bullish for Miners and Japan

  By Joshua Bondy - April 17, 2013 | Tickers: CCJ, EWJ, TM

  Japan's Fukushima disaster caused a public backlash and the call for the removal of nuclear power. Japan's previous plans to increase nuclear power to meet half of the country's needs have been scrapped.  The lost growth is a negative for the nuclear industry, but Japan is trying to export its nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. The developing Saudi-Japanese partnership will help to ensure a steady supply of more »

• Dan Loeb’s Third Point Likes Japan, Gives 2 Stock Picks

  By Salvatore "Sam" Mattera - April 15, 2013 | Tickers: IP, EWJ, LBTYA

  Dan Loeb runs Third Point LLC, one of the most well-renowned activist hedge funds. With roughly $11.7 billion under management, Third Point is one fund investors should pay attention to.

  The fund released its quarterly letter to investors last Wednesday. In particular, the letter touches on Third Point’s investments in Japan, International Paper (NYSE: IP) and Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA).

  Third Point likes Japan due to monetary policy more »

• Time to Buy Japanese Stocks?

  By Salvatore "Sam" Mattera - April 10, 2013 | Tickers: EWJ, SNE, TM

  Shares of Japanese companies trading in the US have been on a run lately. In the last three months, shares of Sony (NYSE: SNE) are up nearly 50%, while shares of Toyota (NYSE: TM) are up almost 10%. Overall, the iShares Japan Index (NYSEMKT: EWJ) -- an ETF that holds shares of Japanese stocks -- has rallied over 11% in the same period.

  With such a great run, is it too late more »

• Bank of Japan Joins The Printing Parade

  By Patrick King - April 6, 2013 | Tickers: EWJ, JPM, NMR

  The Bank of Japan has embarked on a new stimulus program similar to that of the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank. If you partake of the Keynesian Cool-Aid, you doubtless think this is a "good thing", whereas if you are a right thinking Austrian, you are shaking your head as yet another quasi-governmental agency makes a vain attempt to fix a real economy by printing fake more »

• Time to Buy Japanese Stocks?

  By Salvatore "Sam" Mattera - April 5, 2013 | Tickers: EWJ, SNE, TM

  Shares of Japanese companies trading in the US have been on a run lately. In the last three months, shares of Sony (NYSE: SNE) are up nearly 50%, while shares of Toyota (NYSE: TM) are up almost 10%. Overall, the iShares Japan Index (NYSEMKT: EWJ) -- an ETF that holds shares of Japanese stocks -- has rallied over 11% in the same period.

  With such a great run, is it too late more »

• Don't Confuse Timing and Successful Business

  By Jordan Wathen - April 2, 2013 | Tickers: EWJ, WETF, DXJ

  You've probably heard about the hottest international trade: buying Japanese stocks.

  The Japanese government is engaging in a policy it hopes will put their economy back on track. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced another $116 billion stimulus project, committing as many resources as possible to lift the Japanese economy. He is also putting pressure on the Bank of Japan to accept an inflation target as high as 2%, indicating more »

• Playing Mr. Kuroda's Wild Ride

  By Dana Blankenhorn - March 6, 2013 | Tickers: FXE, DDR, EWJ

  Here's the easiest trade to make in the history of Earth:

  Buy Japan. Sell Europe.

  The reasons have nothing to do with fundamentals, and everything to do with the strategic thinking behind policy.

  Inflation Can Be Good

  The new head of the Bank of Japan, Haruhiko Kuroda, is determined to end the generation of deflation that has devastated his country's economy like Godzilla plundering paper Tokyo. 

  Once his more »

• Japan and the Fiscal Oil Slick

  By Peter Pham - July 2, 2012 | Tickers: EWJ, NKY, BNO

  While the Federal Reserve plays a dangerous game of chicken with the E.U. over who is going to fund the bailout and restructuring of Europe’s finances, while at the same time trying to bring Iran, Russia and China to heel with threats of sanctions for China and Iran and falling oil and ruble prices for Russia, Japan quietly sits back and allows the Yen to appreciate in the more »

• Japan's Carry Trade in Vietnam

  By Peter Pham - May 3, 2012 | Tickers: EWJ, VNM, PCRFY, PTR, TLM

  More than one year after the earthquake/tsunami that devastated northern Japan and their faith in nuclear power it is more obvious now than it was then that Japan needs Vietnam and vice versa.  Everyone knows that Japan is saddled with both a debt bomb and an age bomb that are set to explode.   That day will likely come when they have to actively seek foreign investors for their bonds more »

• Land Grabbing to Reshape Asia

  By Peter Pham - May 2, 2012 | Tickers: EWJ, VNM, PTR

  When the Americans took umbrage at a group of Japanese investors buying Rockefeller Center I don't think they would have been comforted by knowing that moments like that have happened the world over throughout history.  When one country builds a huge capital advantage it seeks to use that capital to find virgin land to continue expanding their economic reach.  Many of Japan’s biggest companies which are widely held more »

• A Lucrative New Market for These Companies

  By Peter Pham - April 25, 2012 | Tickers: DEO, EWJ, EWM, EWN

  Early in 2011 international liquor and sprits giant Diageo (NYSE: DEO) entered into a joint venture with Vietnam’s Halico, buying a 23.6% stake in the country’s biggest branded spirits producer.  Halico is the producer of Vodka Hanoi, the market leader in Vietnam.  Later in the year Diageo raised its equity stake in the privately-held company to 30% paying nearly $11 per share in the OTC market, more more »

• How to Benefit from Japan's Monetary Stimulus

  By Andrés Cardenal - April 25, 2012 | Tickers: EWJ, SNE, TM, DFJ, DXJ

  The Bank of Japan is meeting on Friday to decide new monetary measures, although there are some doubts about the amounts that will be announced, most analysts are expecting an increase of the assets purchase program that the Bank of Japan is implementing. There are good reasons to expect more monetary stimulus in Japan for the middle term, and some investment alternatives stand to benefit from such measures.

  Japan doesn more »

• Buy, Sell or Hold: Vietnam Right Now

  By Peter Pham - April 19, 2012 | Tickers: EWJ, VNM

  The Vietnamese equity markets have been on fire since the beginning of 2012.  The market made an intra-day bottom at 332.28 on January 6th, and other than a month-long pause in March has moved strongly higher, closing at 472.98 on Tuesday, April 17^th, outpacing many developed markets by a 3:1 margin.  Foreign investors have woken up to the situation as the AUM on the Market Vectors more »

• Japan to Outperform the U.S. in 2012?

  By Michael Gayed - January 24, 2012 | Tickers: FXY, TLT, EWJ, IVV, TBT

  “The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. That's the essence of it.” - Vince Lombardi

  I've been focusing more and more attention on Japan lately as the Nikkei appears to be recovering and as animal spirits return to equity markets. There appears to be a growing possibility that the markets are moving away from “risk-off” investments and into investments more »