In answer to my call for suggestions on sensible ways to invest in Japan, Neile Weissman wrote: “Try Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance ADRs — symbol TKIOY. TKIOY is an old line, well capitalized company that itself owns a diversified portfolio of Japanese stocks. Trading in the low 50s, it’s at a 25% discount to its underlying securities. Their website: http://www.tokiomarine.co.jp/index-e.html. Mutual funds that hold this security are deep value players like Sogen International and Third Avenue Value. One of Third Avenue’s past reports had an extensive write-up of TKIOY (visit www.mjwhitman.com).”
To balance Tokio Marine’s mostly blue-chip holdings, Neile suggests the Warburg Pincus Japan OTC fund. “The guy who had been running the better-performing Warburg Pincus Japan Growth also took over this one.”
