Taking the long view on Japanese growth

The JPMorgan Japanese Investment Trust offers investors capital growth opportunities from a market often overlooked by UK investors – Nicholas Weindling, Fund Manager

Investors searching for opportunities in today’s uncertain world may well overlook Japan. Economic headlines about the country could be discouraging: 2019’s consumption tax hike and GDP fall, followed by coronavirus and its effects (such as postponement of the Tokyo Olympics), and recession.

But look behind the headlines, beyond the Dow, and Japan is home to a number of best-in-sector companies with exciting futures. The JPMorgan Japanese Investment Trust offers the opportunity to tap into their growth.
 

Backing winners

Of course, Japan is not immune to global uncertainty. It is by nature more cyclical than other developed markets and can therefore be commensurately more impacted, both positively and negatively by the slings and arrows of economic fortune.

However, rather than trying to predict the direction of the Japanese market and the global economy, The JPMorgan Japanese Investment Trust focuses on generating long-term capital growth from attractively valued investment themes and individual stocks.

Tokyo-based portfolio manager Nicholas Weindling, explains: ‘The companies we have invested in have strong structural growth outlooks, competitive positions and balance sheets.

We believe they will perform well in the long-term regardless of the performance of the wider global economy. Backing long-term winners means that the earnings of our companies are less volatile.
 

Unknown strengths

The trust’s focus on the long-term (and that it is unconstrained by sector and market cap) means it can avoid structurally weak sectors such as steel, banking and automotive. Low-growth, old economy stocks – household names such as Canon, Toyota and NEC – dominate these sectors, and Japanese ETFs.

Instead, explains Weindling, companies on the trust’s portfolio ‘are becoming household names or are well-known but people don’t know they are Japanese’.

These highly-investible companies could be hidden in plain sight. For example, most job-seekers who have used Indeed, the world’s number one online recruitment website, will be unaware that its parent company, Recruit, is a Japanese-owned business.
 

On balance

Investing in the growth of Japanese companies like Recruit has been made easier by Japan’s corporate governance ‘revolution’ (or at least, modernisation).

While a few years ago it would have been hard to talk about dividend yield in relation to Japanese companies, changes to regulations around corporate governance have enabled companies to offer buybacks and dividends.

In contrast to dividend suspensions in Western markets, they have generally continued to do so.

This, explains Weidling, is thanks to the strength of Japan’s corporate balance sheets: in Japan, well over 50% of non-financial companies have net cash positions, versus 15% for the S&P 500 and over 22% for the MSCI Europe.

This corporate strength makes the trust even more solid, and while income is not the trust’s priority – its focus first and foremost is on growth – it does continues to pay a dividend.
 

Compelling performance

Of course, although past performance is not a reliable indicator of current and future results and dividend payouts can’t be guaranteed, the trust’s performance is nevertheless eye-catching: it has delivered a 10-year annualised NAV and share price returns of 13.6% and 14.7% respectively, and it sells on a 10.2% discount to net asset value (NAV).

This performance has earned the Trust a five-star Morningstar rating. However, Weindling admits: ‘When the economy picks up very rapidly it can be a bit more of a struggle for our relative performance but in the long-term we have been investing in very good stock. I’m not saying we will always will, but I hope we will continue to out-perform.¹
 

Quality assurance

Past performance and economic outlook aside, investors should, like Weindling and his team, focus on the growth potential offered by the trust’s portfolio of best-in-class performers and future star names in a market that is often overlooked by UK investors.

Weindling assures investors that, in uncertain times, they should take comfort in the quality of the companies that his team invests in. The qualities of the JPMorgan Japanese Investment Trust should make it an attractive option for the investor looking for long-term growth.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current and future results

_{1 Quarterly rolling performance (%) as at 31/03/2020: 2014/15: -4.46%, 2015/16: 24.89%, 2017/18: 31.06%, 2018/19: -8.82%, 2018/19: -4.02%. Benchmark: Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section Index (TOPIX)}

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_{This is a marketing communication and as such the views contained herein do not form part of an offer, nor are they to be taken as advice or a recommendation, to buy or sell any investment or interest thereto. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. Any research in this document has been obtained and may have been acted upon by J.P. Morgan Asset Management for its own purpose. The results of such research are being made available as additional information and do not necessarily reflect the views of J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Any forecasts, figures, opinions, statements of financial market trends or investment techniques and strategies expressed are unless otherwise stated, J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s own at the date of this document. They are considered to be reliable at the time of writing, may not necessarily be all inclusive and are not guaranteed as to accuracy. They may be subject to change without reference or notification to you. It should be noted that the value of investments and the income from them may fluctuate in accordance with market conditions and taxation agreements and investors may not get back the full amount invested. Changes in exchange rates may have an adverse effect on the value, price or income of the products or underlying overseas investments. Past performance and yield are not reliable indicators of current and future results. There is no guarantee that any forecast made will come to pass. Furthermore, whilst it is the intention to achieve the investment objective of the investment products, there can be no assurance that those objectives will be met. J.P. Morgan Asset Management is the brand name for the asset management business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates worldwide. To the extent permitted by applicable law, we may record telephone calls and monitor electronic communications to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations and internal policies. Personal data will be collected, stored and processed by J.P. Morgan Asset Management in accordance with our EMEA Privacy Policy www.jpmorgan.com/emea-privacy-policy. Investment is subject to documentation. The Prospectus and PRIIPs Key Information Document can be obtained free of charge from JPMorgan Funds Limited or www.jpmorgan.co.uk/JARA. This communication is issued in the UK by JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England No: 01161446. Registered address: 25 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5JP. This communication is issued in Europe (excluding UK) by JPMorgan Asset Management (Europe) S.à r.l., 6 route de Trèves, L-2633 Senningerberg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, R.C.S. Luxembourg B27900, corporate capital EUR 10.000.000.}
 

_{Important information}

_{This document is a general communication being provided for informational purposes only. It is educational in nature and not designed to be taken as advice or a recommendation for any specific investment product, strategy, plan feature or other purpose in any jurisdiction, nor is it a commitment from J.P. Morgan Asset Management or any of its subsidiaries to participate in any of the transactions mentioned herein. Any examples used are generic, hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. This material does not contain sufficient information to support an investment decision and it should not be relied upon by you in evaluating the merits of investing in any securities or products. In addition, users should make an independent assessment of the legal, regulatory, tax, credit, and accounting implications and determine, together with their own professional advisers, if any investment mentioned herein is believed to be suitable to their personal goals. Investors should ensure that they obtain all available relevant information before making any investment. Any forecasts, figures, opinions or investment techniques and strategies set out are for information purposes only, based on certain assumptions and current market conditions and are subject to change without prior notice. All information presented herein is considered to be accurate at the time of production, but no warranty of accuracy is given and no liability in respect of any error or omission is accepted. It should be noted that investment involves risks, the value of investments and the income from them may fluctuate in accordance with market conditions and taxation agreements and investors may not get back the full amount invested. Both past performance and yields is not a reliable indicator of current and future results.}

_{J.P. Morgan Asset Management is the brand for the asset management business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates worldwide. This communication is issued in the United Kingdom by JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited, which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Registered in England No. 01161446. Registered address: 25 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5JP.}
 

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