Low net worth individuals owning a high proportion of foreigncurrencyassets would likely need to sell some of these assets if their cash deposit holdings (in Japan) did not cover their (immediate) needs.
Olympus's net loss narrowed as a weaker yen boosted the value of its foreign-currency assets, though soft digital-camera sales still hurt its bottom line.
On the non-operating side, the rapid depreciation of the Korean won against the US dollar in September resulted in foreign exchange-related losses of around 420 billion won due to translation of foreigncurrency- denominated assets and liabilities.
Holders of precious metals or other major tradable (fungible) assets worldwide need to monitor the foreign exchange rate of the currency in which their asset is held.
China has stated interest in diversifying its currency and debt holdings in its foreign reserve accounts by buying up other BRIC assets, mainly currencies in Russia, India and Brazil, one of the strongest and most stable currencies in the Americas.