Currency-hedged ETFs in vogue as investors clamor for more

(Reuters) - U.S. investors spooked by wild swings in the foreign exchange market are piling into exchange-traded funds that strip out the local currency on their international equity portfolios, making them one of the most sought-after financial products in 2015.

Japanese stock funds worldwide attract $1.2 billion inflows - Bank of America

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors worldwide poured $1.2 billion (0.76 billion pounds) into Japanese stock funds in the week ended Nov. 19 on the Bank of Japan's increased stimulus and a delay to the country's planned sales tax hike, data from a Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research report showed on Friday.

Asian shares waver, euro steady but ECB talk weighs

(Reuters) - Asian stocks erased early modest gains on Tuesday, while the euro steadied but remained vulnerable after overnight comments from the European Central Bank chief heightened expectations of easing steps in the euro zone.

BOJ to set aside more reserves as balance sheet grows

(Reuters) - The Bank of Japan will set aside four times the amount of money it normally would as reserves to offset the risk posed by the assets it is rapidly adding to its balance sheet with its quantitative easing.

Japan World-Beating Stocks Seen Repeating Gains in 2014

The 49 percent rally that pushed Japanese stocks past every other developed market in 2013 has done nothing to increase valuations, a sign to the world’s biggest investors that the advance will last.

Bank of Japan to extend loan facilities to make banks create more credit: Sources

TOKYO: The Bank of Japan is preparing a plan to extend three special loan facilities that have backed more than $81 billion in lending over the past three years, a step intended to nudge Japan's risk-averse banks to start creating credit, according to people familiar with the matter.

Biggest Pension Fund at Risk Holding 60% in Japanese Debt

Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund, the world’s largest manager of retirement savings, isn’t ready for Abenomics, according to the head of an expert panel advising on public investments.

Japan $314 Billion Rout Tests Topix Bulls Who Pushed Gain

The biggest drop in Japanese shares since the 2011 earthquake erased $314 billion in market value, shaking bulls who pushed the Topix Index to five-year highs and highlighting their vulnerability to shocks at home and abroad.

World stocks edge higher on US economy hopes

LONDON (AP) — Stock markets mostly rose on Tuesday on hopes that improvements in the U.S. economy will make up for the continued gloom in the eurozone, where the unemployment rate hit a new record high.