Foreign Investors Buy Record $60 Billion in Japan Stocks in Six Months

Foreign investors have purchased a record $60 billion worth of Japanese stocks in the first half of this year. This is the highest amount ever recorded for a six-month period, according to exchange data. The buying spree signals strong international confidence in Japan’s economy and corporate reforms. Investors are particularly drawn to changes pushed by the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which now requires companies to improve their capital efficiency and shareholder returns. Analysts say the weak yen has also made Japanese stocks cheaper for overseas buyers. The influx of foreign cash has helped push Japan’s main stock index, the Nikkei 225, to near 30-year highs. The previous half-year record was set in the second half of 2020, when foreign investors bought about $50 billion worth of Japanese shares.