[Fundamental viewpoint]
The US market was volatile last week, with the US administration's tariff policy making a difference, but stock indices were largely unchanged on the week.
Weekly volatility NY Dow: -0.16%, NASDAQ: -0.27%, S&P 500: -0.47.
On the other hand, medium- to long-term
risks include concerns about the prolonged conflict in Ukraine, energy costs,
financial instability and global economic slowdown due to rising interest
rates, and the collapse of the real estate bubble and economic slowdown in
China. This also raises concerns about the arrival of stagflation. In addition,
geopolitical risks in East Asia and the Middle East continue to require
attention.
The difference in the yield spread between the Japanese and U.S. markets is 3.81 points undervalued for the Japanese market when the OECD's nominal GDP forecast for 2025 is taken into account. The reason for the undervaluation is the difference between the S&P 500's P/E ratio of 21.2 and the Nikkei 225's P/E ratio of 15.1 the difference between the U.S. and Japanese interest rates, and the difference in GDP growth rates.
In order for the U.S. and Japanese markets to be in equilibrium, the following conditions must be met.
The difference in GDP growth between Japan and the U.S. in 2025 relative to the current price of the Nikkei 225 will be 3.81 percentage points larger than the OECD forecast. (Japan is revised downward or the U.S. is revised upward). Or the current year's forecast PER for stocks in the Nikkei Stock Average becomes about 36.0 Or, the Nikkei 225 will be around 88,720 yen.
As a result, the Japanese market is undervalued by about 51,210 yen in the medium to long term.
Fundamentally, the Japanese market can be said to be about 51,210 yen less attractive than the US market. Weakness in the Japanese market widened somewhat last week.
[Conditions for Nikkei average rise]
In the future, the following assumptions are necessary for the Nikkei average to rise further.
① Rising US market
② Increase in profit forecast for the current fiscal year above the previous year's level
③ Further depreciation of the yen due to the widening interest rate gap between Japan and the U.S.
④ Upward revision of Japan's 2025 GDP estimate (now +3.3%) by OECD
⑤ Foreign investors over-buying
Looking at recent movements
① The weekly leg of the NYDow was positive last week. The daily is below the 200-day line and within the clouds on the Ichimoku Chart. The weekly leg of the NASDAQ was positive. The daily is below the 200-day line and within the clouds of the Ichimoku Chart. This week, the focus will be on whether or not the NY Dow is able to return above the 200-day line.
② As a result of the earnings announcements, the ROE forecast for the Nikkei 225 index stood at +8.9%, an improvement of 0.1 percentage points compared to three months ago. The profit growth rate was +1.6%, a deterioration of -1.0 percentage point compared to three months ago.
③ The US long-term interest rate rose and the interest rate differential between the US and Japan narrowed from 3.06 to 3.03, but the dollar moved in a weaker direction against the yen in the range of ¥142 to ¥146. The Dollar Index rose +0.39% on the week.
④ The OECD's nominal GDP growth rate for Japan and the U.S. in 2025 is expected to be +3.3% for Japan and +4.4% for the U.S., so the Japanese market is 1.1 percentage points inferior in this aspect.
⑤ The fifth week of April was overbought, the first week of May was likely overbought and this week is expected to be overbought. Of the five points, ③ and ⑤ were bullish last week.
[Technical viewpoint]
Looking at the Japanese market from a technical perspective, it is overvalued by 1.3 point in the medium to long term in terms of the difference in 200-day divergence from the NASDAQ (about 490 yen in terms of the Nikkei 225). On the other hand, the difference in 200-day divergence from the NYDow is overvalued by 1.4 points in the medium to long term (about 530 yen in terms of the Nikkei 225).
Japanese markets turned strong against the NY Dow and NASDAQ. The VIX, a measure of US market volatility, fell to a weekly low of 21.9. The Nikkei VI fell to a weekly low of 24.5. Both the US and Japanese markets are in a state of ‘doubt’.
The Nikkei 225 is above the 9-day and 25-day lines. The short-term trend has a "green light".
The Nikkei 225 is in the equilibrium cloud. The overall divergence is +7.7% and the divergence from the 200-day moving average is -1.1%. As these factors are negative, a "yellow light" has been given to the medium-term trend.
In the US market, the NY Dow is above the 9-day line and 25-day and below 200-day lines. It is within the clouds of the equilibrium chart.
The NASDAQ is above the 9-day line and 25-day and below 200-day lines. It is within the clouds on the Ichimoku Chart.
This is a ‘green light’ in the short term and a ‘yellow light’ in the medium term.
[Outlook for this week]
Looking at the US market from a fundamental perspective, recessionary fears are amplified in the near-term. Other risk factors include inflation and rising interest rates due to the Russia-Ukraine war, recession due to energy shortages and deteriorating political conditions in the EU bloc, US-China trade friction, financial market turmoil caused by the bursting of China's property bubble and credit crunch, and expanding geopolitical risks in the Middle East.
Looking at the technical aspects, the U.S. market is in a medium-term down trend and a short-term up trend. The Japanese market is in a medium-term no trend, and the short-term is up trend.
Analysis of the foreign exchange market shows that the yen has turned stronger since topping out at 156 yen, which was reached in January 2025. This week, the yen is expected to be between 144 and 147 yen.
In the US markets this week, market attention will continue to focus on the US trade negotiations, with inflation, retail sales and speeches from Fed officials. Producer prices, industrial production, Michigan consumer confidence and housing starts will also be released. Globally, the focus will be on the UK's Q1 GDP growth and unemployment rate, China's industrial production, retail sales and house prices, Germany's ZEW business confidence index and Japan's Q1 GDP growth.
Last week, the Nikkei 225 fell below its expected range. The upside was below ¥110 and the downside was below ¥190.
This week, the Nikkei 225 is expected to move between Bollinger Band +2σ (currently around JPY 37850) on the upside and Bollinger Band +1σ (currently around JPY 36330) on the downside.
This week, it will be interesting to see whether the Nikkei 225 will move in line with or diverge from the Bollinger Band +2σ.