In the third week of August, individual investors were net buyers of ¥697.7 billion in cash equities. While the Nikkei 225 fell 4%, AI-related stocks drew notable buying interest.
According to trading data by investor type for the third week of August (17-21) released by the Tokyo Stock Exchange, individual investors were net buyers of ¥697.7 billion in cash equities. This marked the first net buying in five weeks and the highest level since the end of June. Despite rising interest rates globally, individual investors' contrarian buying is thought to have supported the downside in Japanese stocks.
The Nikkei 225 fell 2,697 points, or about 4%, during the week. Crude oil prices appear to have risen against the backdrop of uncertainty over the situation in Iran, indicating uncertainty in the equity market.
Although some view individual investors' net buying as having supported the market, the period was also marked by a notable shift of funds into AI-related stocks. Trading patterns by investor type suggest that individual investors were simultaneously avoiding risk and engaging in contrarian buying.
Overall, the third week of August saw substantial net buying by individual investors, with interest concentrated in a group of stocks that included AI-related names.