Point72 to double Japan staff, boost local capital

Point72 Asset Management plans to roughly double the size of its Japan operation to about 100 employees and increase the amount of capital it deploys in the country, targeting hires in fundamental equity research as well as macro and quantitative strategies.

According to Shinji Ogawa, head of Point72’s Japan business, the firm will add analysts and specialists to expand coverage of Japanese equities and to pursue investments in bonds and currencies. He pointed to recent corporate governance reforms and shifts in market dynamics as reasons to expand investment activity in Japan.

Ogawa noted, ‘There are still many sectors we don’t yet cover.’

Point72, founded by Steve Cohen, has operated in Tokyo since opening its office in 2011 and managed $58.5 billion as of July. The planned hires include fundamental equity researchers and specialists in macroeconomic analysis and quantitative strategies to respond to movements in Japanese bonds, currencies and equities.

The firm has increased spending on training and recruitment. It has hired an internal trainer and a recruiter for a graduate development programme aimed at building local analytical capability and a pipeline of junior talent in Japan.

Point72’s Tokyo office will continue to support fundamental equity work while the firm scales resources for macro and quantitative teams to pursue short- and long-term opportunities across Japanese markets.