Why Japanese stocks are on a rollercoaster ride
Volatility in global markets continues
![Media members observe the stock quotation board at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo, Japan, August 6](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240810_FNP502.jpg)
As fears of an American recession spread, stockmarkets around the world have been jittery. The moves have been the wildest of all in Japan. On August 5th the Topix plunged by 12% in its worst performance since 1987; the yen had climbed from its weakest point in 37 years. The next day, stocks swung back, rising by 9%, as investors snapped up stocks that had plunged in value. The sharp moves carry implications not just for Japanese investors and firms. The country’s financial heft means that they could become a source of further volatility in nervous global markets.
Explore more
More from Finance & economics
![](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240914_FNP501.jpg)
Can anything spark Europe’s economy back to life?
Mario Draghi, the continent’s unofficial chief technocrat, has a plan
![](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240907_FND003.jpg)
Has social media broken the stockmarket?
That is the contention of Cliff Asness, one of the great quant investors
![](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240907_FNP504.jpg)
American office delinquencies are shooting up
How worried should investors be?
China is suffering from a crisis of confidence
Can anything perk up its economy?
America has a huge deficit. Which candidate would make it worse?
Enough policies have been proposed to make a call
Why Oasis fans should welcome price-gouging
There are worse things in life than paying a fair price