Japan equity derivatives trading stalls on Nikkei 15-year high

Abenomics drove a surge in Japan equity derivative activity but now cash investors dominate

With Japan's Nikkei 225 reaching a 15-year high in March, equity derivatives activity has fallen sharply as autocallable uridashi issuance slows and macro hedge funds buying call options have largely retreated from the country. 

The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index has risen more than 120% – from around 9,000 to almost 20,000 – since 2012, when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was re-elected and started introducing fiscal, monetary and structural reforms to kick-start the domestic economy.

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