Executive Director, Metrical Inc

Aki Matsumoto

Executive Director

Independent Leading Corporate Governance Research

Metrical Inc

METRICAL INC. is an independent leading Corporate Governance research firm in Japan where Corporate Governance is increasingly recognized as an important element on corporate management in these days. Thus, CG research and solutions would become an essential component of global capital markets and play important to contribute to transparency of the markets and maximize shareholders’ value in Japan. 

METRICAL INC. provides Corporate Governance research and analysis including rating services, and  also offers investment research and IR services with solutions and customized profound research on CG and IR issues.

<ul>
<li>For the majority of companies applying the measures, the market capitalization in circulation is less than 10 billion yen, which is the reason for not meeting the listing criteria.</li>
<li>The only solution to this problem is to raise the stock price, which can only be done either by improving profits or by raising the expectation on the future profits.</li>
<li>It won't be long before the time comes when the criteria will be questioned in the first place, whether tradable market capitalization of 10 billion yen is sufficiently liquid investment.</li>
</ul>


For the majority of companies applying the measures, the market capitalization in circulation is less than 10 billion yen, which is the reason for not meeting the listing criteria.
The only solution to this problem is to raise the stock price, which can only be done either by improving profits or by raising the expectation on the future profits.
It won't be long before the time comes when the criteria will be questioned in the first place, whether tradable market capitalization of 10 billion yen is sufficiently liquid investment.


The Time Is Not Far off when the Prime Market Listing Criteria Itself Will Be Questioned

<ul>
<li>I would like to discuss the issues on several interesting points in the report "Vision for Future Human Resources" compiled by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).</li>
<li>Both company and employees have seen a gap between the skills they need and the reality, yet neither company nor employees have invested sufficiently. This has led to falling competitiveness.</li>
<li>Companies need to invest sufficiently in human resources to create added value from management that has been so busy cutting costs that it has saved to invest in human resources.</li>
</ul>


I would like to discuss the issues on several interesting points in the report "Vision for Future Human Resources" compiled by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
Both company and employees have seen a gap between the skills they need and the reality, yet neither company nor employees have invested sufficiently. This has led to falling competitiveness.
Companies need to invest sufficiently in human resources to create added value from management that has been so busy cutting costs that it has saved to invest in human resources.


The Key to Creating Added Value Is to Shift to Management that Values Human Resources

<ul>
<li>There is the problem that a wage gap exists between men and women even among regular employees, and that the percentage of non-regular workers is very high among women.</li>
<li>Issues to be addressed include the creation of a social infrastructure in which workers don’t have to leave jobs due to childbirth or child-rearing, and fair wages for non-regular workers.</li>
<li>Mandatory disclosure is an important step. Managers should also think of employees as partners in creating new value, rather than simply as labor, which will help to eliminate this issue.</li>
</ul>


There is the problem that a wage gap exists between men and women even among regular employees, and that the percentage of non-regular workers is very high among women.
Issues to be addressed include the creation of a social infrastructure in which workers don’t have to leave jobs due to childbirth or child-rearing, and fair wages for non-regular workers.
Mandatory disclosure is an important step. Managers should also think of employees as partners in creating new value, rather than simply as labor, which will help to eliminate this issue.


Mandatory Disclosure of Gender Wage Differentials Is Still a First Step

<ul>
<li>In the area of politics, where there is a noticeable lag, there is a system in the electoral system that actually discourages aspiring politicians from becoming politicians.</li>
<li>The social structure of male dominance is nothing more than maintenance of that structure by groups with vested interests, and risk exists that sensitivity to new values will be dulled.</li>
<li>Without the forces at work to change existing social structures, the gender gap index isn’t expected to change much next year, but so far we don't see such forces now.</li>
</ul>


In the area of politics, where there is a noticeable lag, there is a system in the electoral system that actually discourages aspiring politicians from becoming politicians.
The social structure of male dominance is nothing more than maintenance of that structure by groups with vested interests, and risk exists that sensitivity to new values will be dulled.
Without the forces at work to change existing social structures, the gender gap index isn’t expected to change much next year, but so far we don't see such forces now.


Japan's Gender Gap Index Remains Low. Power to Change the Existing Structure Is Still Invisible.

<ul>
<li>As discussed in my previous article, when the % of foreign shareholders increases, companies tend not to bring up the continuation of takeover defense measures at shareholder meetings.</li>
<li>The threshold level, so to speak, of the % of foreign shareholders that determines whether or not to continue takeover defense measures is estimated to be in the 30% range.</li>
<li>If other domestic institutional investors follow, threshold level will be lowered and lead to a more tense corporate management, which will have a positive effect on the board of directors.</li>
</ul>


As discussed in my previous article, when the % of foreign shareholders increases, companies tend not to bring up the continuation of takeover defense measures at shareholder meetings.
The threshold level, so to speak, of the % of foreign shareholders that determines whether or not to continue takeover defense measures is estimated to be in the 30% range.
If other domestic institutional investors follow, threshold level will be lowered and lead to a more tense corporate management, which will have a positive effect on the board of directors.


Voting Rights that Fulfill Fiduciary Duty Are a Key for Tense Corporate Management Practices

Japan

The TOPIX, also known as the Tokyo Stock Price Index, is a capitalization-weighted index of all companies listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The index is supplemented by the subindices of the 33 industry sectors. The index calculation excludes temporary issues and preferred stocks, and has a base value of 100 as of January 4, 1968.

TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX (TPX INDEX)

The Time Is Not Far off when the Prime Market Listing Criteria Itself Will Be Questioned

I would like to discuss the issues on the Nikkei article, "Transitional measures applied to 80% of companies failing to meet standards."

Metrical Inc

The Key to Creating Added Value Is to Shift to Management that Values Human Resources

The Nikkei published an article, "Japan, Where Annual Income of Department Managers Is Lower Than in Thailand: The Key to Economic Growth." I would...

Metrical Inc

Mandatory Disclosure of Gender Wage Differentials Is Still a First Step

I would like to discuss the issue on the Nikkei article "Change the Workplace by Disclosing the Gender Wage Difference."

Metrical Inc

Japan's Gender Gap Index Remains Low. Power to Change the Existing Structure Is Still Invisible.

I would like to discuss the issues on the Nikkei article "Japan's Gender Equality Index Ranks 116th, No Progress in Improvements in Politics and...

Metrical Inc

Voting Rights that Fulfill Fiduciary Duty Are a Key for Tense Corporate Management Practices

I would like to discuss the issues on the Nikkei article "approval rate for takeover defense measures declined at companies that proposed such...

Metrical Inc