Workman inspires big-name investors to mine Japan for next gem

Fidelity and Schroders buy lesser-known names as blue chips face headwinds

20191031 Workman athletic wear

Workman has branched out from overalls and other construction gear to athletic wear. (Photo by Yuta Kimura)

TAKEHIRO HASEGAWA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japan's undervalued small- and mid-cap stocks are catching the eye of global institutional investors after the unlikely success of Workman -- a vendor of job-site apparel whose market value has more than doubled this year.

Take FIL Investments (Japan). The Fidelity International group company has reported a 5.37% stake in matchmaking service provider Partner Agent, which has a market capitalization of just 3.8 billion yen ($35 million)

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.