“The ETFs will allow investors to gain exposure to Japanese equities while reducing the impact on their portfolios of potential Japanese yen depreciation against those currencies,” Nomura said.
The products were launched under Nomura’s Next Funds, the brand for its ETF range, which has $52.7bn in assets under management.
The products will track the performance of the JPX-Nikkei 400 Total Return Index, launched in 2014. It is Japan’s first broad index that includes only profitable companies with high and sustainable dividend yields, which encourages better corporate governance, the firm said.
The introduction of a stewardship code in Japan and the creation of the new index have helped raise awareness of the benefits of proper governance, which will result in dividend hikes and share buybacks, Simon Webber, lead portfolio manager for global and international equities at Schroders, wrote in a research note.
A look at the performance of Nomura’s other Japan ETF since its launch in January:
The three-year performance of top-performing Japan ETFs:
