The gold rush: Japan's economy set to put on an Olympian performance

Recovery off the starting blocks as world falls behind

clock • 5 min read

During the first few weeks of 2020, as the sporting world was looking forward to the Games of the XXXII Olympiad, there was also a sense of expectation among investors of a broad, sustained pick up in global economic activity after fears of a China-US trade war proved unfounded.

In the US, unemployment rates, the lowest experienced for some 50 years, were fuelling an economy boosted by burgeoning world trade. There was further economic stimulus in the shape of a relatively benign background of steady and historically low interest rates and a stable oil price of around $60 per barrel. Japanese corporate earnings were expected to be beneficiaries of this environment, given the link between profits growth and overseas sales, particularly across the Far East and the US. As athletes once again start to limber up ahead of the delayed Tokyo Olympics, so too does ...

To continue reading this article...

Join Investment Week for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, analysis and opinion from the investment industry, including the Sustainable Hub covering fund news from the ESG space
  • Get ahead of regulatory and technological changes affecting fund management
  • Important and breaking news stories selected by the editors delivered straight to your inbox each day
  • Weekly members-only newsletter with exclusive opinion pieces from leading industry experts
  • Be the first to hear about our extensive events schedule and awards programmes

Join now

 

Already an Investment Week
member?

Login

More on Asia

 abrdn's Yeo and Kwik: Will the dragon soar in 2024 for China?

abrdn's Yeo and Kwik: Will the dragon soar in 2024 for China?

'Cause to be optimistic'

Elizabeth Kwik and Nicholas Yeo
clock 09 February 2024 • 4 min read
What happened to China in 2023?

What happened to China in 2023?

Nine experts debate

Investment Week
clock 16 January 2024 • 5 min read
China unveils new blue-chip index in bid to boost investment in Beijing listings

China unveils new blue-chip index in bid to boost investment in Beijing listings

CSI A50 index

Eve Maddock-Jones
clock 05 January 2024 • 1 min read
Trustpilot