Ex-Comedian Joins Ex-Goldman Analyst to Advise Japan Stock Fund

(Bloomberg) -- A former comedian and an ex-Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analyst will offer investment advice for a Japanese equity fund that’s set to launch in January.

The fund will be run by Tokyo-based asset management firm Fundnote, and will invest in stocks with limited downside by looking at their price-earnings ratio and price-to-cash flow ratio, among other measures, and it seek to capture so-called alpha, according to its website.

Former Goldman analyst Keizo Takeiri and retail investor Toshiya Imura, an ex-comedian with more than 334,000 followers on X whose disclosed holdings have moved shares in the past, will provide investment advice. The size of the fund will initially be limited to ¥10 billion ($63.5 million).

The fund may not be able to fully capture demand from retail investors as it doesn’t qualify for tax-free investment scheme for individuals, called NISA, according to its registration statement.

And while Japanese stocks are set to end the year higher, shares have faced increasing volatility as activism and deals ramp up. The Bank of Japan is expected to hike rates next year, while the incoming Trump administration is already adding to market uncertainties.