Japan Carmakers Looks Set for Mergers, Says Man Group (Correct)

Japan’s export-reliant auto sector will be forced to consolidate to combat competition in an environment roiled by tariffs, according to a portfolio manager at the world’s largest publicly traded hedge fund firm.

Man Group’s long-only portfolio manager Stephen Harget said Japan’s carmakers are being pushed to combine their resources to counter Chinese auto firms’ aggressive business plans and rapid expansion.

“When an industry is really under pressure, consolidation is often a very good answer to that,” Harget said in an interview. Japan has a lot of listed automakers and consolidation provides “scale merits and they could share the investment burden.” ...