Why Japan’s stock market went on a rollercoaster ride

A perfect storm – triggered by the Sahm Rule, AI-driven transactions and the unwinding of the yen carry trade – sent the Japanese and global stock markets on a wild ride. While the Bank of Japan gains more flexibility to raise rates after the unwinding, investors remain optimistic about the long-term prospects of Japanese equities.

It took Japan only a few days to nearly erase its year-long stock market rally. The first three days of August saw the market plummet by more than 20%, with the worst daily sell-off in its history occurring on Monday, when it fell by 12%. This led to a widespread global market rout, leaving investors questioning whether another financial crisis was on the horizon.

However, just as panic began to set in, the stock market staged a remarkable recovery on Tuesday, rising by 10% – its largest single-day rise.

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