The US dollar/yen exchange rate has returned to pre-tariff announcement levels following fluctuations triggered by President Trump's tariffs. Despite Japan's lack of intent in currency manipulation, this trend poses challenges in US-Japan trade negotiations, as highlighted by statements from Treasury Secretary Bessent warning against macroeconomic policies that exacerbate trade imbalances.

Bitcoin (BTC) reached a record high on July 14 but has since seen price declines with no clear reasons. Significant profit-taking from long-standing addresses is occurring, affecting BTC's price and leading to increased investments in Ethereum (ETH), which is rapidly rising in market cap. Investors may consider buying ETH around 540,000 yen, while BTC trades are advised to be cautious.

Current fundamentals: In the short-term, there is a movement to buy the Dollar due to the rise in US Interest Rates.
The range and closing price for last week (week of July 14) (Bid rate of Manex Trader FX)

・Dollar/Yen: 146.851 yen ～ 149.181 yen 148.834 yen

・Euro/USD: 1.15564 Dollar ～ 1.17213 Dollar 1.16225 Dollar

・Euro/Yen: 171.693 Yen - 173.242 Yen 172.994 Yen
Last week (week of July 14), USD/JPY: yen depreciation level since June 23.
Last week (the week of July 14), the first half of the week saw a rise in the Dollar/Yen in response to U.S. inflation-related indicators and the commotion surrounding the dismissal of Powell, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve.

This week, key earnings reports for major US and Japanese companies are anticipated, with notable focus on Alphabet and Tesla in the US, and Nidec and Chugai Pharmaceutical in Japan. The essay reviews expected P/E ratios, analyst forecasts, and stock prices, noting that while Alphabet appears relatively undervalued, Tesla’s high P/E ratio raises concerns. It emphasizes the importance of demonstrating strong performance in upcoming earnings announcements.

The US stock market experienced mixed results with the Dow Jones declining slightly, influenced by tariff negotiations and high-tech stock gains leading the Nasdaq to new highs. Key economic indicators reflected consumer confidence improvements but showed some economic uncertainty ahead.

Market trends for this week (July 11th - July 17th)
Market Review BTC (Bitcoin): Surged past $120,000, setting a new all-time high.
Bitcoin has seen a bullish trend, breaking through BTC=120,000 dollars (approximately 17.76 million yen) and setting a new all-time high.
Despite the lingering uncertainty surrounding President Trump's additional tariff measures, expectations for progress in trade negotiations with various countries have supported the market, maintaining a risk-on mood. As the Nasdaq Composite Index has been setting new all-time highs for consecutive days, Bitcoin has also risen alongside it.
In addition to the continuous large-scale purchases by MicroStrategy [MSTR] and Metaplanet (3350), there has been progress in the discussion of cryptocurrency-related legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Micron Technology [MU] is performing well with HBM for generative AI data centers.
The importance of high bandwidth memory (HBM), which has improved accuracy over conventional DRAM, is increasing.
Micron Technology, a major semiconductor memory company, announced that its financial results for the March-May 2025 period showed revenue of $9.31 billion, a 37% increase compared to the same period last year, and a net profit of $1.885 billion, which is 5.7 times higher. The non-GAAP EPS (earnings per share) was $1.91, exceeding the market forecast of $1.60 compiled by LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) by 19.3%.
The demand for DRAM used in data centers for generative artificial intelligence (AI) continues to expand, leading to favorable business conditions.

In stock investment, it is said that the basic principle is to "buy low, sell high" in order to generate returns. The famous British economist, Keynes, likened stock investment to a "beauty contest." If you want to guess who will be chosen in a beauty contest, you should not choose the person you think is the most beautiful, but rather choose the person whom "everyone thinks is beautiful."
Stocks are the same; it means that "it is important to choose stocks that everyone wants rather than the ones you want the most." But what kind of stocks are the ones that everyone wants?
The returns from stock investments consist of three types: "capital gains," "dividends," and "shareholder benefits." Regardless of which return you aim for, checking the company's performance is crucial. This is because a good

In 2020, retail investor and caregiver Man started investing in dividend stocks with an initial capital of 4 million yen, and after approximately 5 years of investing, he reached a financial asset of about 36 million yen. In the first part, we discussed techniques and stock selection for steadily improving investment performance, focusing on high dividend stocks, within a household income of 3.5 million yen and a total household income of 5.5 million yen. In the second part, we will delve into promising dividend stocks, how to utilize the new NISA, and investment rules.
Promising stocks such as Orix (8591), Hulic (3003), and Nationwide Guarantee (7164)
--- Are there any individual stocks among those you currently hold that you have high expectations for?
I have high expectations for all the companies I hold, but if I were to mention a few, Orix (8591) is expected to be in May 2025.

Proposals related to the environment and society have significantly declined, while proposals related to governance remain steady.
The results of shareholder proposals in the field of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) for the year 2025 have been announced. The U.S. non-profit organization Proxy Preview reported on July 15 that the number of shareholder proposals submitted to Japanese companies during the 2025 shareholder meeting season was 852, a decrease of 15% compared to the previous year. While the decline in the environmental and social sectors is notable, the number of "anti-ESG" proposals critical of ESG has reached a record high, highlighting that the political and institutional headwinds surrounding shareholder proposals during the Trump administration remain strong.
Michael Pasoff, who led the investigation at Proxy Impact, said, "The climate

The June 2025 Consumer Price Index in Japan reveals a 3.3% annual increase, affected by fuel subsidies and slowing food prices. Core inflation is rising, particularly in services, indicating potential persistent inflation despite easing cost pressures.

The U.S. stock market experienced gains, with the Dow closing at 44,484.49, driven by strong earnings from TSMC and favorable economic indicators. Most sectors in the S&P 500 rose, while individual stocks like PepsiCo and Lucid Group saw significant increases.

Motley Fool U.S. Headquarters – July 15, 2025, from a posted article
Conditions for S&P 500 constituents
The S&P 500 index is the most highly regarded comprehensive indicator of the U.S. stock market, consisting of the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States. Due to the diversity of the companies that make up the index, it is widely recognized as the most reliable benchmark for measuring the overall performance of the stock market. To be considered for inclusion in the S&P 500 index, a company must meet the following criteria.
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> ・Be a company based in the United States
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> ・Market capitalization of over $20.5 billion
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> ・High liquidity
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Financial Intelligence Department

Keita Yamaguchi

Katsuhiro Tsukamoto

Takashi Hiroki

Marin Matsushima
A "triple decline" is occurring as mutual tariffs are applied, causing a drop in three U.S. assets.
On April 2, 2025, U.S. President Trump announced his intention to apply mutual tariffs to certain countries, referring to it as "Liberation Day," with the aim of eliminating the trade deficit. Subsequently, the stock market globally declined due to concerns about the economic downward pressure caused by this policy, interest rates rose, U.S. bonds fell, and funds flowed out of the dollar, which has established a solid position as a reserve currency, resulting in a "triple decline" in the three U.S. assets.
As of mid-July, a consensus on tariff policies has been reached with countries including Vietnam.

The essay discusses the impact of the Trump administration's macroeconomic policies on the USD/JPY exchange rate, particularly in relation to warnings against excessive yen depreciation and low interest rates. It outlines the changes in interest rate dynamics and speculates on the administration's influence over currency policies.

Strengthening the maritime cluster included in the "Basic Policy 2025"
On June 13, the government approved the "Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2025" (the Basic Plan). This includes a policy to strengthen the maritime cluster centered on the shipping and shipbuilding industries. The maritime cluster refers to a region or situation where industries and companies engaged in economic activities centered around the sea are concentrated.
According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and others, Japan's shipbuilding industry's global share was nearly 40% in the 1990s, but gradually declined with the rise of China and South Korea, dropping to 25% in 2018 and 17% in 2022. China has implemented massive public support to enter and expand in the shipbuilding industry, while South Korea has advanced the technology of its own shipbuilding industry.

In 2020, a retail investor and caregiver, Man, started investing in dividend stocks with an initial capital of 4 million yen. After about 5 years of investing, he has reached a financial asset of approximately 36 million yen. With an annual income of 3.5 million yen and a household income of 5.5 million yen, he is steadily improving his investment performance mainly through high-dividend stocks. We asked Man about his investment methods, stock selection, and ways to generate investment funds, as he receives an average monthly dividend of 73,500 yen after taxes (as of July 8, 2025).
● Caregiver Man Profile ●

A 34-year-old who has worked as a caregiver and is currently engaged in elderly welfare as a care manager. He has a wife and children and plans to move to the Tohoku region in 2024. He continues to invest in high-dividend stocks with the goal of "Dividends > Basic Living Expenses." He is active on social media platform X and has a blog titled "20

The Nikkei Average has been moving back and forth at a high level. Although the tax rate initially proposed by the United States in the tariff negotiations was strict, it seems that the lack of negative surprises has contributed to a solid development.
However, the impression that the Japanese economy's sentiment is showing signs of deterioration cannot be shaken off. The recently announced real wages have decreased by 2.9% (which is a considerably large figure), and while there might be a temporary positive shift during bonus months, the overall situation remains fundamentally negative. It is hard not to see the consumption sector's economic driving force as rather weak. Regarding corporate performance in the first quarter, from what I can see and hear about the current situation, it feels like there are not many examples of better-than-expected results.

US stocks have shown resilience, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching record highs amid cautious market predictions. Notable performances from Nvidia and Netflix highlight increased sector investment, particularly in tech. Upcoming earnings reports, especially in finance, will be crucial for market direction.