Shinzo Abe

Futures Surge as Global Shares Rebound U.S. equity futures rose sharply in early pre-market trade on relaxed fears of Federal Reserve tapering of easing, fears which drove markets lower last week. Eyes will be on key retail earnings and economic data in Tuesday's session for further direction as...

As Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda have moved to employ an ultra-loose monetary policy that would make even Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke blush, chatter has increased that Japan's easing efforts will fuel a bubble in emerging markets. The...

Futures Rise on Cyprus Deal U.S. equity futures rose in early pre-market trade as Cyprus and the Troika of creditors reached an agreement to bail out the nation with $13 billion in exchange for drastically reducing the size of its banking sector and freezing deposits greater than 100 thousand...

If ETFs could participate in karaoke night, those funds tracking Japanese small-caps might be apt to select the 1980s classic "Don't You Forget About Me." The Simple Minds hit is an appropriate one for Japanese small-cap ETFs because as the yen has plunged and the Nikkei has soared in recent months...

Futures Rise After Australian Employment, ECB Report U.S. equity futures traded slightly higher in early pre-market trade following stronger than expected Australian employment data and also dovish comments from the ECB in its Monthly Bulletin. The ECB sees the eurozone economy stabilizing in 2013...

A spate of deal-making helped lift stocks last week as the S&P 500 added 0.1 percent. That does not sound like much, but it was enough for the seventh consecutive up wee for the benchmark U.S. index. Sturdy economic reports, decent earnings and now mergers and acquisitions activity have been...

After crossing the 90 level during Friday's Asian session, the U.S. dollar is holding onto its gains against the Japanese yen in U.S. trading today. The pair traded as high as 90.21 earlier today, meaning it took that many yen to purchase $1, and the Japanese currency is now within spitting...

A month ago, Shinzo Abe was successful in his quest for a second chance to be Japan's prime minister (he previously held the premiership, but resigned due to health reasons). The tough-talking Abe has been a boon for investors in an array of Japan-focused ETFs, ranging from the iShares MSCI Japan...

In his most recent investment outlook, revealed Tuesday after the close of U.S. markets, noted bond manager Jeff Gundlach reiterated his bullish view on Japanese stocks. A fine call to be sure, particularly because the yen has plunged and the Nikkei 225 has surged in the wake of Shinzo Abe being...

Through three rounds of quantitative easing, Operation Twist and assorted other easing programs aimed at stimulating the U.S. economy, it is easy for investors to get the impression that the Federal Reserve is the only game in town when it comes to central banks. Of course, that is not the case...

The Nikkei 225, Japan's benchmark equity index, has surged almost nine percent in the past month as investors have bought into the notion that newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could actually prove successful in weakening the yen. The yen, already on pace to be the worst-performing...

Add the MAXIS Nikkei 225 Index ETF (NYSE: NKY) to the list of Japan ETFs that are seeing a noticeable uptick in assets under management. After the close of U.S. markets Friday, Precidian Funds, NKY's sponsor, announced the ETF crossed the $200 million in assets under management mark earlier this...

Exchange traded funds tracking Japan, the world's third-largest economy, have done something many U.S.-focused ETFs did not do: Perform well immediately following a national election. While it was not surprising to see Shinzo Abe reclaim the role of prime minister (he resigned the post in 2007...

Futures Flat on Fiscal Cliff Deal Hopes U.S. equity futures were flat in early pre-market trading as politicians continue to work towards a deal in resolving the Fiscal Cliff. Over the weekend, House Majority Leader Boehner reportedly proposed a bill that included tax hikes for the rich. However,...

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) surged back to power three years after being forced out of a majority in elections held this weekend. The LDP won 300 of a potential 480 seats in the lower house of Parliament, paving the way for the party of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to launch radical...