As Global Bonds Surged, Japanese Were Buying Like Never Before
- Stronger yen has increased their purchasing power abroad
- Institutional investors are re-balancing their portfolios
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The coronavirus pandemic drove Japan’s biggest weekly purchase of global debt on record by its traditionally cautious funds.
With yields from the U.S. to Germany tumbling at a furious pace, Japanese investors placed orders for 4.24 trillion yen ($41 billion) of debt last week, according to data from the nation’s finance ministry going back to 2005. That’s close to what they bought in the first two months of the year.