Ex-comedian, ex-Goldman analyst to advise Japan stock fund

This comes when Japanese stocks are volatile as the Bank of Japan may hike rates, while the incoming Trump administration is also causing market uncertainties

A former comedian and an ex-Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analyst will be offering investment advice for a Japanese equity fund that will be launching in January, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Comedian-turned-investor Toshiya Imura speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tokyo, Japan December 3, 2024 (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

This fund will be run by a Tokyo-based asset management firm called Fundnote.

It will invest in stocks with limited downside risk by looking at their price-earnings ratio and price-to-cash flow ratio, along with other measures, according to its website.

It also looks to achieve alpha. Alpha refers to the excess returns higher than a benchmark investment return. It is calculated by subtracting the total return of an investment from the benchmark returns over the same period of time.

The comedian-turned investor is Toshiya Imura, boasting more than 334,000 followers on X (Formerly Twitter) and whose disclosed holdings have moved shares in the past, according to the report.

Meanwhile, the former Goldman analyst is Keizo Takeiri. Both of them will together advise on the fund, initially limited to ¥10 billion ($63.5 million).

However, the fund doesn't qualify for a tax-free investment scheme for individuals in Japan, called NISA, according to the report which cited its registration statement. Thus, it may not be able to fully capture demand from retail investors.

This comes at a time when Japanese stocks have seen increased volatility, but are also expected to end higher in the year, according to the report.

It's because the Bank of Japan is expected to hike rates next year, which also comes at a time when the incoming Trump administration is already causing market uncertainties.