Foreigners Buy Most Japanese Stocks Since 2013 on Earnings Bets.

Foreign investors purchased ¥1.18 trillion ($7.7 billion) worth of Japanese stocks last week, the highest amount since 2013. This increase in purchases is due to the belief that Japanese companies will increase share buybacks and dividends, creating a more shareholder-friendly culture. Japanese individual investors also bought ¥634 billion of shares, the highest amount since September. Despite this, the Nikkei 255 Stock Average experienced a 3.4% decline, the largest weekly drop since December 2022, as Japanese investors sold a significant amount of stock, likely for profit-taking. Trust banks also saw a record net selling of ¥789 billion. However, foreign investors are expected to increase their position in Japanese equities in the first half of the year. [Extracted from the article]