Asia Adopts 'Value Up' Reforms to Bolster Markets Against Trump-Era Trade Policies

Inspired by Japan's success, Asian countries implement corporate governance reforms to enhance shareholder returns and market valuations.

The 'Value Up' strategy, originating in Japan, emphasizes corporate governance, shareholder returns, and market efficiency to improve stock performance.
Japan's decade-long reforms, which include boosting dividends, increasing board diversity, and reducing cross-shareholdings, led to record highs for the Nikkei 225 this year.
South Korea, India, China, and other Asian nations are introducing similar initiatives to counter economic challenges posed by Donald Trump's trade policies.
India's reforms for state-owned enterprises since 2019 have increased dividend payouts and earnings, while South Korea's results have been mixed, with its Kospi index down this year.
Fund managers see long-term potential in these reforms, with markets like Singapore showing early success, as its Straits Times Index gained over 15% this year.