Japan stocks tumble in biggest 2-day rout since 2011 tsunami
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What started as a nasty drop in Japanese stocks on Thursday turned into a full-blown rout on Friday as the Topix index posted its biggest two-day decline since the 2011 tsunami. It’s a stark turnaround from the record high set in July, when Japanese equities were being celebrated as one of the world’s best-performing markets. The Topix sank 6.1% Friday, completing a two-day drop of 9.2% in the wake of Bank of Japan’s earlier-than-expected rate hike Wednesday and Governor Kazuo Ueda’s hawkish messaging. The Topix joined the Nikkei 225 Stock Average in entering a technical correction. “I didn’t expect stocks to fall this much — it’s a disaster,” said Kiyoshi Ishigane, chief fund manager at Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. “This might be temporary, but Japanese stocks are in their worst situation.” The sharp reversal in Japanese stocks in recent weeks comes as the yen’s rally to a four-month high against the dollar hammers expor...