A Reuters poll of equity strategists indicates that Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average may see only modest gains by June, with a significant rise above the key psychological level of 60,000 expected by mid-next year. The benchmark index has already climbed more than 13% this year, supported by strong corporate earnings and market optimism about fiscal stimulus policies under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. On February 12, the Nikkei hit an all-time intraday high of 58,015.08, shortly after Takaichi's landslide victory in the snap lower house election. The median forecast from a survey of 15 analysts conducted between February 13 and 24 suggests the index will reach 57,500 by the end of June, up about 0.3% from Tuesday's close of 57,321.09. This projection is higher than the 52,000 forecast in the November survey. Hiroshi Namioka, chief strategist at T&D Asset Management, commented, "Given the rapid gains so far, the market is likely to enter a period of consolidation to absorb overvaluation concerns, but we do not anticipate a significant correction." The median survey forecast also shows the Nikkei reaching 58,500 by the end of 2026 and rising to 60,750 by mid-2027.
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