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The Bank of Japan's Unstoppable Rise to Shareholder No. 1

  • BOJ set to become top owner of 55 firms in the Nikkei 225
  • Japan’s central bank boosted its ETF buying program last month
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Inside the Tokyo Whale's Unstoppable Rise

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The Bank of Japan’s controversial march to the top of shareholder rankings in the world’s third-largest equity market is picking up pace.

Already a top-five owner of 81 companies in Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average, the BOJ is on course to become the No. 1 shareholder in 55 of those firms by the end of next year, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg from the central bank’s exchange-traded fund holdings. BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda almost doubled his annual ETF buying target last month, adding to an unprecedented campaign to revitalize Japan’s stagnant economy.