You probably hadn’t heard of Japanese hotel development group Metaplanet (JP:3350) until now. Still, the firm’s pivot to a bitcoin holding company has thrust it into the limelight and sent the stock price soaring, with the shares up more than +340.0% year to date.
How can I buy Metaplanet stock?
As Metaplanet is a Japanese stock listed on the Tokyo stock exchange, if you want to trade it in the UK, you need to do so as a CFD or financial spread bet through an online trading platform like City Index. If you buy Metaplanet shares as a financial spread bet your profits are free of capital gains tax, and the minimum you can go long (or short) is 50p per point, which at the current share price of 1602 would require a minimum initial margin of £201 (25%) and result in a position size of £804. 
Can you buy Metaplanet physical shares?
It’s never been that easy for UK retail clients to trade in Japanese equities but it is possible.
Probably the easiest way to trade in Japan as a UK private client is to open an account with a broker that offers Japanese equities.
One such is Interactive Brokers, a US broker which has operations in the UK , Europe and Asia and who offer access to the Tokyo stock exchange and which historically has offered low commissions and a choice of trading platforms.
Searching 3350 the numerical ticker for Metaplanet Inc in Tokyo on the Interactive Brokers website brings up a dedicated page on the stock. However you do have to login to view specific information about the stock.
Metaplanet also has an OTC or over-the-counter listing in the US OTC stocks are not listed on a stock exchange but instead are traded between brokers and other counterparties in this instance, Metaplanet trades OTC, under the ticker MTPLF.
OTC-listed stocks can be illiquid, not least because OTCX trading has its roots in matched business; however, at least for now there are no liquidity issues with the stock trading over millions of shares per average volumes have risen to more than 13.0 million shares. However, volumes have exceeded 25.0 million shares on several occasion over the last month.
Firms such as Webull and Interactive Brokers offer access to OTC listed stocks in the US, though for now, Webull offers trading in the top 500 names only ,though it says that more names are coming.
When you are dealing in non-traditional markets its always best to check out the terms under which you are trading, understanding the risks, and establishing the facts about custody, deliver,y settlement etc, and any additional charges that may apply.
Is Metaplanet a good investment?
Metaplanet will raise as much as US$5.0 billion through an issue of warrants and use those proceeds to purchase up to 100,000 bitcoins.
The fundraising is one of the largest rights issues ever seen in Japan and aims to take advantage of the interest in Bitcoin holding companies.
A strategy pioneered by Michael Saylor and SMCI in the US but which is now being pursued by Gamestop (GME) and Trump Family Media among others.
It’s perhaps no coincidence then that Eric Trump joined Metaplanet’s board in March.
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