Triple Bet on Japanese Bull Market

Looking back at 2013, not many markets outside of the United States performed well throughout the year. However, thanks to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s aggressive yen-hedging policies, Japan has excelled and risen above the fray. A similarly aggressive way to capitalize on continued Japanese market gains is the Direxion Daily Japan Bull 3X Shares (JPNL).

This non-diversified exchange-traded fund (ETF) seeks, before fees and expenses, to replicate 300% of the daily performance of the MSCI Japan Index. This index measures the performance of the large- and mid-cap segments of Japan’s equity market. JPNL only began trading on June 26, 2013. Since then, this ETF has risen 27.14%. As a triple-leveraged fund, JPNL is especially volatile, as the chart below demonstrates.

This fund is invested in a broad array of sectors, including consumer cyclical, 19.19%; industrials, 18.42%; financial services, 15.81; and technology, 11.71%. It has smaller allocations to basic materials, real estate, consumer defensive, healthcare, utilities, communication services and energy. As a fund following three times the performance of a country-covering index, JPNL does not invest in any individual companies’ stocks.

With the weakening of the yen, the bull is in Japan’s shop now. As a fund that is designed to triple the gains of an index, Direxion Daily Japan Bull 3X Shares (JPNL) provides a way to grab this opportunity by the horns. Though its volatility can mean a bumpy ride, investors who hang on could see increased returns from Japan’s improving economy.

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In case you missed it, I encourage you to read my e-letter article from last week about another Japanese fund, DXJS. I also invite you to comment about my column in the space provided below.