Question

In: Finance

1. Why are they changing the stocks in the Nikkei 225 index and why does such...

1. Why are they changing the stocks in the Nikkei 225 index and why does such a change portend heavy trading volume and potentially large swings in the prices of component stocks?

Solutions

Expert Solution

What Is the Nikkei?

The Nikkei is short for Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average, the leading and most-respected index of Japanese stocks. It is a price-weighted index composed of Japan's top 225 blue-chip companies traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Nikkei is equivalent to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) Index in the United States.

Understanding the Nikkei

Formerly called the Nikkei Dow Jones Stock Average (from 1975 to 1985), it is now named after the Nihon Keizai Shimbun or Japan Economic Newspaper, commonly known as Nikkei, which sponsors the calculation of the index. The index has been calculated since September 1950, retroactive to May 1949. Among the best-known companies included in the Nikkei index are Canon Incorporated, Sony Corporation, and Toyota Motor Corporation. It is the oldest stock index in Asia.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Nikkei Index

The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) was established in 1878. Initially, the TSE was founded as a marketplace for the exchange of bonds the government had issued to samurai. In addition to government bonds, the TSE also acted as an exchange for gold and silver currencies. By the 1920s, the TSE grew to include stock trading.

In 1943, during the Second World War, the Japanese government combined the TSE with five others to form a single Japanese Stock Exchange. That exchange was closed down in Aug. 1945 toward the end of the war. The Tokyo Stock Exchange re-opened on May 16, 1949, under the aegis of the Securities Exchange Act.

Japan experienced a major asset bubble in the late 1980s when the government used fiscal and monetary stimuli to counteract a recession caused by the Japanese yen's 50% appreciation during the first part of the decade. Stock prices and land values tripled between 1985 and 1989. At the height of the bubble, the TSE accounted for 60% of global stock market capitalization.

The bubble burst in 1990 and the value of the Nikkei Index fell by one-third that year. In Oct. 2008, the Nikkei traded below 7,000. This was a decline of more than 80% from its Dec. 1989 high. It subsequently rebounded between June 2012 and June 2015 with the help of economic stimulus from the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan, but the index was still nearly 50% below the 1989 high.

TOPIX vs. Nikkei

The Tokyo Price Index—frequently referred to as TOPIX—is another widely followed index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. While the Nikkei is an index of 225 selected stocks from the TSE, the TOPIX is an index that includes all the stocks in the TSE.

The Nikkei is price-weighted, which means the index is an average of the share prices of all the companies listed. Because each company's stock is weighted by its price per share, the Nikkei tends to be influenced by high-priced stocks such as technology stocks.

TOPIX, on the other hand, uses the capitalization-weighted method for all the stocks in the TSE's first section. TOPIX is affected by stocks with large market valuations, such as financials.

Special Considerations

It is not possible to directly purchase an index, but there are several exchange-traded funds (ETFs) whose components correlate to the Nikkei. ETFs that track the Nikkei and trade on the Tokyo Stock Exchange include Blackrock's iShares Nikkei 225 and Nomura Asset Management Nikkei 225 Exchange Traded Fund. The MAXIS Nikkei 225 Index ETF is a dollar-denominated fund that trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Nikkei was established as part of the rebuilding and industrialization of Japan in the aftermath of the Second World War. Constituent stocks are ranked by share price, rather than by market capitalization as is common in most indexes. Valuations are denominated in Japanese yen. The composition of the Nikkei is reviewed every September, and any needed changes take place in October.


Related Solutions

What are the features and characteristics of preferred stocks and common stocks? Why does Netscape’s senior...
What are the features and characteristics of preferred stocks and common stocks? Why does Netscape’s senior management team find convertible preferred stocks more attractive than high salaries?
5. Suppose the index model for stocks 1 and 2 has the following results ?1 =...
5. Suppose the index model for stocks 1 and 2 has the following results ?1 = 0.5% + 0.95?? + ?1, ?2 = −1.2% + 1.25?? + ?2, ?? = 25%. The standard deviations of ?1 and ?2 are 20% and 22% respectively. ( 1) Calculate the standard deviation of stock 1 and stock 2. (2) What is the covariance between each stock and the market index. (3) What are the covariance and correlation coefficient between these two stocks? (4)...
You construct a price-weighted index of 55 stocks. At the beginning of the day, the index...
You construct a price-weighted index of 55 stocks. At the beginning of the day, the index is 8,710.44. During the day, 54 stock prices remain the same, and 1 stock price increases $5.40. At the end of the day, your index value is 8,757.89. What is the divisor on your index?
The TriValue Index is a market value weighted index comprising of three stocks. The number of...
The TriValue Index is a market value weighted index comprising of three stocks. The number of shares outstanding and the closing stock prices for each of the stocks are given as follows: Number of shares outstanding Closing price yesterday Closing price today Stock A 350,000 $23 $23 Stock B 405,000 $43 $41 Stock C 553,000 $56 $58 The number of shares outstanding for the stocks does not change during the period. If the index was closed at 970 yesterday, what...
part 1 - Suppose that a stock index is constructed with three stocks priced at $7,...
part 1 - Suppose that a stock index is constructed with three stocks priced at $7, $43, and $56. The number of outstanding shares for each is 500,000 shares, 405,000 shares, and 553,000 shares, respectively. Today the prices for each stock are changed to $14, $44, and $52 and the number of outstanding shares for each are changed to 250,000 shares, 405,000 shares and 553,000 shares today, what is the price weighted index value today if the index yesterday was...
Suppose Stocks A, B and C are the only three component stocks in a benchmark index....
Suppose Stocks A, B and C are the only three component stocks in a benchmark index. The number of shares outstanding of Stocks A, B and C are 371,000 shares, 312,000 shares, and 234,000 shares, respectively. The prices of Stocks A, B and C for Days 1, 2, 3 and 4 are given in the table below: Stock A Stock B Stock C Day 1 30.37 41.70 81.85 Day 2 31.03 40.61 78.65 Day 3 32.05 42.03 79.28 Day 4...
1. what is refractive Index 2. Why is it use in chemistry 3.What does it mean when two substances have the same refractive index?
Please exaplain in detail:1. what is refractive Index2. Why is it use in chemistry3.What does it mean when two substances have the same refractive index?For example:If our product (isoamyl acetate) has a RI=1.407 and the true values or RI of isoamyl alcohol is 1.407 and the true value for isoamyl acetate is= 1.400What does that mean?
1) Assume the following information concerning two stocks that make up an index. What is the...
1) Assume the following information concerning two stocks that make up an index. What is the value-weighted return for the index? Price per Share Shares Outstanding Beginning of Year End of Year   Kirk, Inc. 37,000 $ 53 $ 57     Picard Co. 27,000 79 84   Round intermediate steps and your final answer to four decimals. Enter your answer in decimal format ( EX: XXXX). 2) You want to sell 600 shares of DEF stock at the going market price after the...
1. Assume the following information concerning two stocks that make up an index. What is the...
1. Assume the following information concerning two stocks that make up an index. What is the value-weighted return for the index? (Do not round intermediate calculations. Enter your answer as a percent rounded to 2 decimal places.) Price per Share Shares Outstanding Beginning of Year End of Year Kirk, Inc. 42,000 $ 54 $ 61 Picard Co. 29,500 79 85 RETURN %: 2. You are given the following information concerning two stocks that make up an index. Assume that you...
Able, Baker, and Charlie are the only three stocks in an index.
Problem 5-9 Price-Weighted Divisor (LO4, CFA2)Able, Baker, and Charlie are the only three stocks in an index. The stocks sell for $55, $312, and $92, respectively. If Able undergoes a 3-for-4 reverse stock split, what is the new divisor?(Do not round intermediate calculations. Round your answer to 5 decimal places.)Divisor=?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT