Traders are betting that Japanese titanium suppliers will capture substantially more of the global market for the metal as President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine forces western companies away from Russian producers.
Shares in Toho Titanium and Osaka Titanium Technologies, among the only manufacturers of high-grade titanium in the world, have risen about 61 and 51 per cent respectively since the invasion in February.
Those gains reflect industry expectations that multinationals now cutting ties with Russia in the wake of western sanctions will boost profits for producers in Japan, as global aeronautical and defence companies search for suppliers.