Unfazed by the possibility of a repeat of "Black Monday," the Governor of the Bank of Japan is resolutely hawkish, still planning to raise interest rates.
Although the Japanese stock market just experienced a "Black Monday" crash earlier this month, the Bank of Japan's determination to raise interest rates does not seem to be shaken. On Friday, Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda Haruhiko stated during a parliamentary questioning session that if Japan's inflation and economic data continue to meet the central bank's expectations, the Bank of Japan will continue to raise interest rates.
Japan's exports in July fell slightly below expectations, with a significant increase of 27.8% in semiconductor manufacturing equipment exports.
Due to strong demand in the market for chip manufacturing equipment, Japan's exports to the United States increased by 7.3% in July. Against the background of the Bank of Japan gradually withdrawing from the ultra-loose monetary policy, the yen may continue to rise, which will also bring obstacles to Japan's export growth.
The Japanese stock market soared nearly 9% in a single week, the largest increase in four years! Japanese investors are celebrating: the familiar feeling has returned.
According to market data, the Nikkei 225 index rose by 3.6% to 38,062.67 points on Friday, resulting in a stunning 8.7% increase for the week, marking the largest weekly gain since the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020. Meanwhile, the TOPIX index also rose 3% on the day and posted a weekly gain of approximately 8%.
Japanese stocks plunged, "squeezing the bubble", is it time to buy low?
The market is betting on a rebound in Japanese stocks, with the growth rate of call options contracts for the Nikkei 225 index exceeding that of put options. The current expected PE ratio of the TOPIX index is 13 times, far lower than that of the US stock market. However, Japanese stocks still face the risk of a strengthening yen and further interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan.
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