Business Financial Post ”Japan discovers ‘good’ governance, U.S. style”

”Not so long ago, back when they were eating the lunch of American corporations, Japan’s Toyotas, Hitachis, Sonys, Canons and Hondas were governed in the worst possible way — at least according to the canons of American governance. Their boards were made up almost exclusively of corporate insiders, with no independent directors and no diversity. […]

Bloomberg: ”The Tokyo Whale Is Quietly Buying Up Huge Stakes in Japan Inc.”

“…. Still, the longer the BOJ’s buying persists, the bigger the risk that market prices will detach from fundamentals. Assuming Goldman Sachs’s prediction for more stimulus proves correct, the central bank could end up owning a quarter of Mitsumi Electric Co., a supplier to Apple Inc., and 21 percent of Fast Retailing by the end of 2017, estimates compiled by Bloomberg show.

”In Shocking Finding, The Bank Of Japan Is Now A Top 10 Holder In 90% Of Japanese Stocks”

 

”The latest shocking example of just how intertwined central banks have become in not only Treasury and corporate bond markets and their respective “valuations”, but also in stocks, comes courtesy of the Bank of Japan which days ahead of an announcement which may see it double its ETF purchases from the current JPY3.3 trillion to JPY7 trillion or more (if Goldman is correct) has just been revealed to be a top 10 holder in about 90% of all Japanese stocks!

Goldman Sachs Asset Mgt. : The Upside of Japan’s Corporate Reforms

JAPAN’S VALUATIONS HAVE FALLEN DESPITE STRONG EARNINGS GROWTH

GSAM-Connect-Japan-Equities_r2

Source: Factset, IBES, GS GIR. Data are consensus for calendar years January 1, 2013 to March 22, 2016. Past performance does not guarantee future results, which may vary.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM), one of the world’s leading investment managers discusses its constructive view on Japanese equities with Mr. Ichiro Kosuge, the Fundamental Equity Portfolio Manager. Mr. Kosuge highlights the importance of corporate sector reforms to the market’s outlook.

”What is your overall view on Japanese equities?

Ichiro Kosuge: We are constructive on Japanese equities. In addition to the potential for macroeconomic improvement, we believe corporate governance reforms, high cash holdings and attractive valuations could drive equities higher.

VIDEO – ”Assessing Abe’s Third Arrow: Corporate Governance Reform in Japan”

1460247918_hqdefault

”As doubts persist about the progress of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “third arrow” structural reforms to lift the Japanese economy, corporate governance is one area where change has been visible over the past three years: a new Stewardship Code for institutional investors, a Corporate Governance Code for companies themselves, a new JPX-Nikkei 400 index with minimum ROE and independent director requirements for inclusion, and efforts to increase the number of women on corporate boards and in senior management. How will these changes affect the performance of Japanese companies? What are the implications for the Japanese economy and for the success of Abenomics? What more could be done? As part of our continuing examination of major trends in the world’s third-largest economy, the CSIS Simon Chair will host experts from government, business, and academia to discuss Japan’s recent corporate governance reforms………..”

” Executive Stock Ownership Guidelines”

equilar logo

”Public companies are beholden to align long-term interests of executive officers with those of their shareholders, and this balance often manifests in how executives are paid in relation to company performance. Many companies address this through use of equity packages, but because executives can still sell or hedge these shares, their incentives to make long-term decisions for the company are not always clear. To avoid this, many companies implement stock ownership guidelines, requiring executives to own a certain amount of equity in the company.

”Japan’s “Show Me the Money” Corporate Governance – March 2016”

”Given the 4th quarter slowdown in the global economy, it is no surprise that overall corporate profit margins in Japan decelerated during that period. But before one panics and says that they are about to plummet, one should realize that it would likely require a global recession for such to occur and that the 2005-2007 period showed that profit margins can plateau at a high level for an extended period of time. Indeed, the four quarter average is still creeping upward to new record levels, and like most of the rest of the world, the manufacturing sector is declining while the non-manufacturing sector is accelerating to record highs. Meanwhile, Japanese profits are performing much better than those in the US or Europe. We have covered the reasons for such in our recent piece The Japanese Equity Outlook After the Nasty New Year Start (https://en.nikkoam.com/articles/2016/01/the-japanese-equity-outlook-after-the-nasty-new-year-start), but let us emphasize herein the corporate governance aspect of that piece……….”

Read full article here: https://en.nikkoam.com/articles/2016/03/japan-s-show-me-the-money-corporate-governance-march-2016

Source: Nikko AM