Japan

Equity markets around the globe are near - or at - record highs, with sentiment remaining positive, but Chris Wyllie at Iveagh argues investors need to be prepared for a setback after such a strong run.

JAPAN

The Nikkei has closed 3.1% higher at 14,843 after the Bank of Japan (BoJ) said it would double the size of two lending programmes in a bid to prop up credit growth.

Jonathan Pines, manager of the Hermes Asia ex Japan Equity fund, has named five stocks that helped him beat competitors in his peer group last year.

Japan's economy grew less than expected at the end of last year, highlighting potential weaknesses in Prime Minister Abe's economic policies.

COMMENT

Martin Currie is to cut down the size of its UK-domiciled Japan fund range, merging John Millar's Japan fund into the group's Japan Alpha offering, Investment Week can reveal.

The Ruffer investment trust's protective assets have "earned their keep" so far this year, countering losses from its position in Japanese equities, the managers have said.

Japanese equity markets have seen double-digit falls since the start of the year as investors panic over global growth and problems in emerging markets, but which funds have suffered the most?

Neptune's Chris Taylor has predicted ten-fold growth in the Japanese market in the coming years, as the government is forced to push through reforms to avoid bankruptcy by 2020.