por admin » Mié Ago 25, 2010 9:12 pm
La ironia Japonesa: moneda fuerte, economia debil
El yen es fuerte por que el Banco de Japon no puede recortar los intereses.
La economia Japonesa es una de las peores en los ultimos 20 anios, sin embargo los inversionistas parecen no poder comprar suficientes yenes.
El yen esta en sus niveles mas altos desde 1995.
Japon esta en deflation por muchos anios, su poblacion envejece y declina, el gobierno tiene problemas con la deuda tan grande. El Nikkei despues de soprepasar los 37000 puntos en 1990 ahora esta sentado en niveles alrededor de 8845.
La deuda de Japon es el 200% de su economia, lo que los salva es que la deuda Japonesa esta en manos de los mismos bancos y corporaciones Japonesas. Eso evita que haya un exodo al extranjero que debilitaria al yen.
A diferencia de Japon, US tiene la mitad de su deuda en manos de extranjeros especialmente China y Japon.
Behind Japan's Allure: Stagnancy
By DAISUKE WAKABAYASHI And TAKASHI MOCHIZUKI
Japan's economy is among the world's worst performers over the past 20 years—yet investors can't seem to get enough of its currency.
The Japanese yen has risen sharply in recent weeks versus the U.S. dollar, and now sits at its highest level since 1995.
While the U.S. economy seems to have slowed in recent months, Japan's woes have been mounting for two decades. Policy makers continue to wage a losing battle against deflation; the population is aging and in decline; and the government is struggling with a mountain of debt. The Nikkei Stock Average of 225 companies, having surpassed 37000 in 1990, now hovers at about 8845.
As safe havens go, Japan would seem to be a poor choice. In a sign of troubled financial times, however, this go-nowhere economy is trumping the alternatives.
"Japan plods along—the economy isn't necessary fast, but it doesn't move that much," said Douglas Borthwick, Managing Director of Faros Trading LLC. "The U.S. is moving down quickly."
Money managers and big investors are betting that, with interest rates already near zero in Japan, the famously conservative Bank of Japan won't move aggressively to loosen its monetary policy, which would weaken the yen. (Please see related article on page C2.)
The U.S. Federal Reserve, by contrast, signaled recently that it would remain an active player in U.S. debt markets. The Fed has aggressively expanded its balance sheet since the financial crisis of 2008, creating several vehicles through which to flood the banking system with fresh dollars. Its recent announcement could pave the way for more moves in the months ahead.
The yen is seen as a haven because the Bank of Japan, shown here, doesn't have much room to cut interest rates.
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Speculators who are driving the yen higher may feel more "peace of mind" because the Bank of Japan is the least likely of the major central banks to do something drastic, said Hajime Kitano, J.P. Morgan Chase's chief Japanese equities strategist.
"Buying the yen is very easy to justify because the BOJ has less room to ease its policy than the Fed," added Jun Kato, senior manager of investment at Shinkin Asset Management.
The Bank of Japan is expected to announce some easing measures after its Sept. 6-7 policy meeting. But investors bidding up the yen expect little more than a minor tweak—not a radical policy change.
Another reason Japan is considered safe is that the vast majority of the government's debt, equivalent to 200% of gross domestic product, is in the hands of major Japanese banks and corporations. That protects the market from a flight of foreign capital that could spark a run on the yen.
By contrast, almost half of U.S. Treasurys are held by foreign investors. China and Japan are the two largest holders.
Buying the yen is "probably one of the surest bets in the world," said James Chirnside, director at Asia Pacific Asset Management, who expects the yen to continue to rise.