MNI BRIEF: Japan H’hold Fncl Assets Hit Record High At End-Dec

The balance of financial assets held by Japanese households stood at a record high of JPY2,141 trillion at the end of December, up 5.1% y/y, the 15th straight quarterly rise, preliminary fund circulation data released by the Bank of Japan on Thursday showed.

The balance of cash and deposits held by Japanese households at the end of December stood at a record high of JPY1,127 trillion, up 1.0% from a year earlier. The balance of cash and deposits accounted for 52.6% of the total financial assets, showing Japanese households continued to refrain from buying financial assets.

Government bonds and Treasury bills held by the BOJ stood at JPY585 trillion at the end of December, up 5.5% y/y and accounting for 47.9% of total government debt, the single largest holder, up from 47.7% at the end of September.

The balance of government bonds and Treasury bills held by non-Japanese totaled JPY165 trillion at the end of December, down 7.8% y/y, and accounting for 13.5% of total government bonds, down from 13.7% at the end of September.