The market may be too optimistic in believing that the short yen/long equities trade will work for a sustained period. Mr Abe and the business community in Japan continue to think their main problem is an expensive yen, or more accurately an underpriced Korean won. That may have been true in the past but not today. Even if the yen was to fall significantly, the world’s consumers are not about to abandon Samsung gadgets for those of Sony or Toshiba. The problem is not an uncompetitive currency, it is uncompetitive products. Japan’s trade deficits will worsen as the cost of imports rises while the current account will benefit but not … Continue reading Henny Sender