BlackRock, other investment firms boost outlooks for Japan stocks

Improving shareholder returns, governance reforms cited for upgrades

U.S.-based BlackRock recently raised its rating for Japanese shares from "underweight" to "neutral." © Reuters

MANAMI OGAWA, Nikkei staff writer

July 16, 2023 00:45 JST

TOKYO -- BlackRock and other major European and U.S. asset management companies are upgrading their ratings for Japanese stocks, a shift that could increase the flow of money into the country's market and sustain its growth, though outlooks are not uniformly bullish.