The March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan have a significant impact on the Japanese stock market index (Nikkei) and on the Japanese currency (Yen / JPY). But what were the long-term trends for the Nikkei and Yen before the disaster happened?

On this page you find a short video and the Prezi presentation that was used for the video.

You'll see what the long-term trend and moving averages trend signals were for the Nikkei and for the Yen versus the Dollar and the Euro.

For the Prezi presentation that is used in the video (no sound in the presentation itself), see below:

The earthquake and the subsequent tsunami in Japan are a tremendous disaster. Thousands of people have died and many more lost their loved ones.

My sympathy goes to all victims. There could be even a catastrophe now with the nuclear power plant. But in the financial world there is no such thing as sympathy. It is all about profit and panic.

On March 14, the first trading day after the earthquake, the Nikkei lost 6.2% in value. Today, the 15th, at the moment of writing, the Nikkei has lost another 14%, probably fueled by the news on the nuclear radiation leaks. In one-and-half day, the Nikkei has now thus lost almost 20% of its value.

Market conditions seem to be as ambivalent as the weather these days. Last year was marked by uncertainty and turmoil, resulting in volatility that had not been seen since the end of 2008. However, recently stocks and commodities have been rising like crazy over the past seven months, and volatility has been squeezed out of the currency markets and hit new 3-year lows in the S&P 500 Index. 

The Euro fell from its lofty perch last May due to debt and deficit issues with its smaller member states, but versus the Dollar, it seems trapped at the moment in a kind of limbo-land.

The S&P 500 gained 2.85% during February 2011.

There is no change in the long-term trend indicators for the S&P 500 between the beginning of February 2011 and the beginning of March 2011.

The 4 different S&P 500 Trend Signals are all pointing up-wards.

Click here for the updated Trend Signal overview and for the links to the S&P 500 history charts.

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Stock market timing helps me now already for over 8 years to capitalize on the long-term trends that you can see in stock market indices. This market timing system I developed in 2003 has enabled me to benefit from the bull market between 2004 and 2007, to avoid the financial crisis of 2008 and to ride again the trend up between 2009 and today.