By Jared Levy, Editor, Smart Investing Daily, taipanpublishinggroup.com
First and foremost, we at Taipan offer our thoughts and prayers to everyone who has been affected by the recent events that have struck Japan. As a trader or investor, as awkward and sometimes morbid as it may be, you must think about how your investment portfolio will be affected by a natural disaster such as this.
Given the enormity, severity and far-reaching ramifications of an event like we have seen, finding an investment angle can be a daunting task.
It helps to make a list of possible sectors, stocks and currencies that may be vulnerable, along with a basic thesis for each before you think about investing any cash or adjusting positions in your portfolio. Furthermore, you should understand how each investment is linked to the Japanese economy and/or the after effects of the disaster.
A good friend and fellow trader, Jeff Tomasulo, was kind enough to send me a list he compiled of the companies, ETFs and currency funds that may be correlated directly or indirectly to the disaster. He also gave me permission to share this list with you. I’ve narrowed it down to key companies and investments (because with a tragedy as big as what’s unfolding in Japan can affect huge numbers of investments) and offered commentary to help rationalize each sector for you.
The following ETFs are traded here in the States and allow you to take bullish or bearish positions in a basket of stocks or currency. The Japanese stock market has been weak, but the yen has been rallying. Investments in either of these ETFs require further research. There are many forces pulling on both the currency and profitability of Japanese companies. Speculating on these types of occurrences requires great skill; use caution.
One thing to keep in mind is that Japan’s economy is heavily reliant on exports. A stronger currency makes Japan’s exports more expensive for other countries to buy. The severe damage to Japan’s infrastructure will also impede production and exports.
Below is a list of Japanese companies that trade on U.S. exchanges. Basically these stocks trade in tandem with their stocks listed overseas. An ADR (American depositary receipt) trades just like a regular stock. They are an easy way for the average investor to buy or short a foreign company.
Some of these companies may or may not be severely affected; remember that many of them sell products around the world. Problems may arise if their factories are damaged or if they have trouble shipping goods.
Some of these companies also have production in other countries, so going through this list with a fine-toothed comb could help you find companies whose production will not be hampered as greatly as others with production in Japan.
(Investing doesn’t have to be complicated. Sign up for Smart Investing Daily and let me and my fellow editor Sara Nunnally simplify the stock market for you with our easy-to-understand investment articles.)
Insurance companies may have exposure to Japan, as they may have to pay large claims to make good on their policies.
Here are a couple companies in that space that may have exposure.
This sector requires some work to understand. One company, Aflac (AFL:NYSE) previously said it is the No. 1 insurance company in Japan in terms of individual policies in force and Aflac Japan’s revenues accounted for 75% of the company’s total revenues in 2010. That exposure may put continued pressure on the company famous for their quacking duck.
Preparing for disaster and preventing the loss of life and property is big business; these two companies may see future investments from municipalities, governments, builders, etc. who want not only get an early warning, but protect structures from damage.
This sector is one of the first to see investment interest after a disaster. After the 2004 tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people from Thailand and Indonesia to India and Sri Lanka, Taylor Devices jumped from $2.52 to $7.24 overnight.
If a substantial number of Japan’s nuclear reactors remain offline or if radiation leaks continue, you can bet that alternative energy sources will not only be needed, but demanded by the people/government.
Traditional thermal generation is first on the list and less expensive than coal, oil, and natural gas/LNG.
Solar panels and wind turbines are more costly, but may get serious consideration given the circumstances.
Japan imports nearly all its energy — oil, natural gas, fuel… Companies from refiners to alternative energy equipment manufacturers could be in hot demand.
There are many companies that are not listed here that may still be affected by the quake. Obviously, the rebuilding and/or removal of nuclear power plants can include another basket of companies, but for now, this list should get your mind going and allow you to take your research even further.
But you may already be holding some of these companies I’ve listed today in your investment portfolio, and are wondering if they’re safe to keep holding. By breaking down this list into specific categories, I’ve shown you where these companies fall — in the disaster area or the rebuilding area.
Those in the disaster area are likely to experience more pain. After the dust settles, those in the rebuilding categories may generate some interest.
For now, let’s keep Japan in our thoughts.
Editor’s Note: Most People Are Too Busy Denying the Facts to Even Touch This Story… We’re likely to be called crazy for running this story. But at the risk of ridicule, we feel you need to know about what’s going on. As I said, most people wouldn’t even consider sharing this with you… Learn more from Taipan’s Safe Haven Investor.
About the Author
Jared Levy is Editor of WaveStrength Options Weekly, our options trading research service and Co-Editor of Smart Investing Daily, a free e-letter dedicated to guiding investors through the world of finance in order to make smart investing decisions. His passion is teaching the public how to successfully trade and invest while keeping risk low.
Jared has spent the past 15 years of his career in the finance and options industry, working as a retail money manager, a floor specialist for Fortune 1000 companies, and most recently a senior derivatives strategist. He was one of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange’s youngest-ever members to become a market maker on three major U.S. exchanges.
He has been featured in several industry publications and won an Emmy for his daily video “Trader Cast.” Jared serves as a CNBC Fast Money contributor and has appeared on Bloomberg, Fox Business, CNN Radio, Wall Street Journal radio and is regularly quoted by Reuters, The Wall Street Journal and Yahoo! Finance, among other publications.