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Weak yen unlikely to end Japan's rally

­Market take

Weekly video_20240513

Ben Powell

Opening frame: What’s driving markets? Market take

Camera frame

Twelve-month returns for the MSCI Japan are near 17% in U.S. dollar terms [as of May 6, 2024].

Title slide: Weak yen unlikely to end Japan’s rally

We don’t see the recent slump in the yen to 34-year lows against the dollar derailing this momentum.

Japan’s growth outlook remains rosy and corporate reforms are taking hold.

1: Central bank policy intervention

An apparent intervention may slow the slide in the yen, but ultimately its weakness is due to divergent Bank of Japan and Fed policy rates, in our view.

The yen started depreciating in 2022 as the Fed kicked off its rapid hiking cycle. Its fall accelerated in April as the BOJ asserted it would not rush to unwind its loose policy, while markets pared back their pricing of Fed rate cuts for this year given sticky U.S. inflation.

We believe the yen could recover once the Fed cuts later this year.

2: Cheaper goods and a stronger consumer

A weak yen affects Japanese companies and sectors differently. Manufacturers that face higher input costs may suffer.

Yet Japanese goods becoming cheaper for overseas buyers will benefit exporters. A stronger consumer could support some sectors on the back of wage gains.

Outro: Here’s our Market take

We see diverging monetary policy driving the slide in the yen but we don’t see it persisting. We stay overweight Japanese stocks given ongoing corporate reforms and eye opportunities created by structural shifts.

Closing frame: Read details: 

www.blackrock.com/weekly-commentary.

The rally rolls on

A weak yen is unlikely to end the positive momentum in Japanese equities. The drivers of the recent rally remain, so we stay overweight Japanese stocks.

Market backdrop

The S&P 500 neared its 2024 highs last week, supported by strong Q1 earnings. In Japan, authorities appear to have intervened to bolster a weak yen.

Week ahead

We’re eyeing U.S. CPI inflation data this week to gauge if it will keep coming in hot. We see U.S. interest rates staying high for longer given sticky inflation.

Twelve-month returns for the MSCI Japan are near 14% in U.S. dollar terms. We don’t see the recent slide in the yen to 34-year lows versus the dollar derailing this momentum. Why not? Japan’s growth outlook remains positive, corporate reforms are taking hold and rising wages can support consumer spending. Ultimately, yen weakness is mainly due to the gap between Bank of Japan and Fed policy rates. The yen could recover once the Fed cuts. We stay overweight Japan’s stocks.

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A growing gap
Difference between U.S. and Japan 10-year bond yields, 1990-2024

The chart shows a widening gap between U.S. and Japan 10-year bond yields since 2020.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results. Source: BlackRock Investment Institute, with data from LSEG Datastream, May 2024. Notes: The chart shows the difference between U.S. and Japanese 10-year government bond yields. A positive number means U.S. 10-year bond yields are greater than Japan’s.

At the end of April, the yen tumbled to near 160 to the dollar – its lowest in 34 years. The Japanese authorities appear to have intervened by buying U.S. dollars, warning investors betting against the yen and helping slow its slide. Any near-term drivers aside, we think the yen’s weakness is caused by the gap between Fed and Bank of Japan (BOJ) policy rates. The Japanese currency started depreciating in 2022 as the Fed started hiking rates rapidly. Its fall accelerated in April as the BOJ affirmed it would not rush to unwind its loose policy, while markets pared back their pricing of Fed rate cuts for this year given sticky U.S. inflation. Government bond yields for the U.S. and Japan reflect that gap in the market’s monetary policy expectations. Ten-year U.S. Treasury yields have surged above Japanese government bond yields, with the difference close to two-decade highs. See the orange line in the chart.

Yet we think that gap between U.S. and Japan 10-year yields could narrow again as BOJ and Fed policy rates begin to move closer to each other. Sticky U.S inflation may mean the Fed will keep interest rates high for longer, but we still see it starting to cut them later this year. And the BOJ is likely to hike rates again as it cautiously normalizes its emergency policy of negative interest rates. That should ease pressure on the yen. That said, should the yen weaken significantly between now and then, it could stoke inflation as the cost of imported food and energy rises. The BOJ could respond by tightening policy more rapidly. But we think that’s unlikely as it would risk threatening an improving growth outlook, and victory in its decades-long battle against no or low inflation is not yet assured. We see government subsidies on food and energy as a more likely response.

The impact of a weak yen

A weak yen affects Japanese firms differently. Manufacturers with higher input costs may see lower earnings. Yet as Japan’s goods become cheaper for foreign buyers, that will benefit the exporters that make up over half the market capitalization of Japan’s TOPIX index. As recent wage negotiations lead to higher wages, a strong consumer could support some sectors.

Japanese stocks have surged, based on the excess yield that investors receive for the risk of holding them over bonds. But we stay overweight Japanese stocks on a six- to 12-month, tactical horizon. The rally is a sign investor confidence is perking up. And a weaker yen doesn’t change the reasons behind our positive stance. The return of inflation in Japan means companies can raise prices and expand their net profit margins. Plus, shareholder-friendly corporate reforms are taking root, with more firms joining the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s list of those with plans to improve their governance. Government initiatives to encourage more domestic savers to invest could boost flows into Japanese stocks. These shifts are playing out over time. We also see mega forces – big structural shifts driving returns – creating long-term opportunities in Japan. For example, Japan’s population has been aging for many years. That has propelled efforts to adopt automation to boost productivity.

Our bottom line

We see diverging monetary policy driving the slide in the yen, but we don’t see the pressure persisting. We stay overweight Japanese stocks given ongoing corporate reforms and eye opportunities created by structural shifts.

Market backdrop

The S&P 500 climbed higher last week, approaching its 2024 highs. U.S. 10-year Treasury yields hovered around 4.50%. Given structurally higher interest rates, the onus has fallen on earnings to sustain U.S. equity strength. U.S. Q1 earnings have cleared a high bar thus far, showing strong results and signs of broadening. Japanese equities and 10-year government bond yields were flat. A historically weak yen, near 34-year lows versus the U.S. dollar, prompted suspected currency intervention.

We await U.S. CPI inflation data this week as some components have recently been higher than expected. We’re eyeing whether that will carry on. Supercore services inflation excluding food, energy and housing is particularly in focus as it will determine where inflation ultimately settles. We’re also watching core goods given their bumpy post-pandemic normalization. After softer-than-expected U.S. payrolls and wages, markets are again expecting a September rate cut.

Week ahead

The chart shows that gold is the best performing asset year-to-date among a selected group of assets, while the 10-year U.S. Treasury is the worst.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results. Indexes are unmanaged and do not account for fees. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Sources: BlackRock Investment Institute, with data from LSEG Datastream as of May 9, 2024. Notes: The two ends of the bars show the lowest and highest returns at any point year to date, and the dots represent current year-to-date returns. Emerging market (EM), high yield and global corporate investment grade (IG) returns are denominated in U.S. dollars, and the rest in local currencies. Indexes or prices used are: spot Brent crude, ICE U.S. Dollar Index (DXY), spot gold, MSCI Emerging Markets Index, MSCI Europe Index, LSEG Datastream 10-year benchmark government bond index (U.S., Germany and Italy), Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global High Yield Index, J.P. Morgan EMBI Index, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Broad Corporate Index and MSCI USA Index.

May 14

UK employment data

May 15

U.S. CPI

May 16

U.S. Philly Fed Business Index; Japan GDP data

May 10-17

China total social financing

Read our past weekly market commentaries here.

Big calls

Our highest conviction views on tactical (6-12 month) and strategic (long-term) horizons, May 2024

  Reasons
Tactical  
U.S. equities Our macro view has us neutral at the benchmark level. But the AI theme and its potential to generate alpha – or above-benchmark returns – push us to be overweight overall.
Income in fixed income The income cushion bonds provide has increased across the board in a higher rate environment. We like short-term bonds and are now neutral long-term U.S. Treasuries as we see two-way risks ahead.
Geographic granularity We favor getting granular by geography and like Japan equities in DM. Within EM, we like India and Mexico as beneficiaries of mega forces even as relative valuations appear rich.
Strategic  
Private credit We think private credit is going to earn lending share as banks retreat – and at attractive returns relative to public credit risk.
Inflation-linked bonds We see inflation staying closer to 3% in the new regime on a strategic horizon.
Short- and medium-term bonds We overall prefer short-term bonds over the long term. That’s due to more uncertain and volatile inflation, heightened bond market volatility and weaker investor demand.

Note: Views are from a U.S. dollar perspective, May 2024. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events or a guarantee of future results. This information should not be relied upon by the reader as research or investment advice regarding any particular funds, strategy or security.

Tactical granular views

Six to 12-month tactical views on selected assets vs. broad global asset classes by level of conviction, May 2024

Legend Granular

Our approach is to first determine asset allocations based on our macro outlook – and what’s in the price. The table below reflects this. It leaves aside the opportunity for alpha, or the potential to generate above-benchmark returns. The new regime is not conducive to static exposures to broad asset classes, in our view, but it is creating more space for alpha. For example, the alpha opportunity in highly efficient DM equities markets historically has been low. That’s no longer the case, we think, thanks to greater volatility, macro uncertainty and dispersion of returns. The new regime puts a premium on insights and skill, in our view.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Note: Views are from a U.S. dollar perspective, May 2024. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific time and is not intended to be a forecast or guarantee of future results. This information should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding any particular fund, strategy or security.

Euro-denominated tactical granular views

Six to 12-month tactical views on selected assets vs. broad global asset classes by level of conviction, May 2024

Legend Granular

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Note: Views are from a euro perspective, May 2024. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific time and is not intended to be a forecast or guarantee of future results. This information should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding any particular fund, strategy or security.

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Meet the Authors
Jean Boivin
Head – BlackRock Investment Institute
Wei Li
Global Chief Investment Strategist — BlackRock Investment Institute
Ben Powell
Chief Investment Strategist for APAC — BlackRock Investment Institute
Yuichi Chiguchi
Head of Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions and Chief Investment Strategist in Japan – BlackRock

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