Household financial assets hit record 1,880 trillion yen

March 19, 2018

Tokyo- The balance of household financial assets in Japan totaled a record 1,880 trillion yen at the end of 2017, up 3.9 percent from a year earlier, Bank of Japan data showed Monday.

The growth came as the market value of shares and investment trust funds held by households was pushed up by higher stock prices. Cash and deposits held by them also grew.

Cash and deposits increased 2.5 percent to 961 trillion yen, accounting for over half of the total household financial assets, the BOJ said.

Stocks rose 17.3 percent to 211 trillion yen, and investment trusts increased 13.1 percent to 109 trillion yen.

The balance of financial assets held by non-financial companies grew 11.5 percent to 1,266 trillion yen, hitting a record high.

Stocks jumped 20.9 percent to 421 trillion yen, and cash and deposits expanded 5.2 percent to 257 trillion yen. Nonfinancial companies boosted both foreign direct and securities investment.

Outstanding Japanese government bonds rose 0.8 percent to 1,092 trillion yen. The BOJ's JGB holdings increased 6.8 percent to 449 trillion yen, accounting for a record 41.1 percent of the total. Jiji Press