Japan’s equity benchmarks slid more than 20% from record highs reached last month as investor confidence crumbled from the surge in the yen, tighter monetary policy and the deteriorating economic outlook in the US.

The Topix and Nikkei 225 Stock Average tumbled more than 7%, with both set for three-day declines that would be the worst since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown and push them into bear markets. Circuit breakers suspended trading of futures for both equity benchmarks.

Exporters were among the heaviest drags on the Topix after the yen surged more than 2% versus the dollar on the unwinding of carry trades, while banks dropped after yields of 10-year government bonds plunged 13 basis points.

“We are basically seeing a mass deleveraging as investors sell assets to fund their losses,” said Kyle Rodda, a senior market analyst at Capital.Com. “The rapidity of the move has caught me off guard; there’s a lot of panic selling now, which is what causes these non-linear reactions in asset prices to pretty straightforward fundamental dynamics.”

All 33 of the Topix’s industry groups have fallen since the Bank of Japan raised interest rates on July 31, triggering a surge in the yen that has cast a pall over the earnings outlook for exporters. Yen-funded carry trades were among the most popular in emerging markets as volatility remained low and investors bet Japanese rates would remain at rock bottom.

Even insurers and banks that were expected to benefit from higher rates are now some of the biggest losers since the BOJ’s hike as global equity markets slump. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group shares fell as much as 21%, their biggest intraday decline on record, as yields plunged globally following poor US data.

“Many people long the weak JPY trades and soft landing scenario are being forced to unwind,” said Rafael Nemet-Nejat a senior portfolio manager at Jin Investment Management Pte. “The moves are extreme especially in crowded longs even if earnings are huge beats, likely indicating that funds are either blowing up and/or experiencing a lot of pain.’

Signs of weakness in the US economy sparked a slump on Wall Street on Friday and a plunge in Treasury yields. Non-farm payrolls rose by 114,000 - one of the weakest prints since the pandemic - and job growth was revised lower in the prior two months. The unemployment rate unexpectedly climbed for a fourth month to 4.3%, triggering a closely watched recession indicator.

Once the main drivers of the market’s ascent, foreign investors sold net ¥1.56 trillion (US$10.7 billion or RM47 billion) Japanese cash equities and futures combined in the week that ended July 26, according to data from Japan Exchange Group Inc. 

“The latest big selloff in equities, reinforced by US market’s downturn and led by technology stocks, has staged a big reset in terms of expectations for Japan equity returns for the rest of the year,” Andrew Jackson, head of Japan equity strategy at Ortus Advisors Pte in Singapore, wrote in a note.

Here’s more on what market participants had to say:

“Although the market is currently in a ‘storm,’ Japanese stocks will gradually find a place to settle down along with the US stock market,” she said. “Selling is being spurred by the unwinding of long positions and the involvement of trend-following hedge funds. Valuation and fundamental strategies are not applicable in some areas due to the panic selling aspect of the market.”

“It is too early to tell if the summer heat will abate. But it is certainly a case of a conspiracy of ‘risk off’ triggers. The BOJ from what it did (hike and signal more) and the Fed for it has not (cut and commit to emphatic cutting) are conspiring to undermine precariously rich markets.”

“There is a general pattern of a reversal from the previous year’s data and the BOJ is not likely to raise interest rates further and will likely not be possible looking at the pace of the stock prices.”

“Until the bottoming out of USD/JPY is confirmed, aggressive buying of Japanese equities is likely to be restrained. At the moment, the US economic surprise index is showing a worsening trend, and investors are becoming increasingly wary of deteriorating US economic indicators.”

  - Bloomberg