According to CNBC, Mercari shares rose more than 4% on Friday, extending a rebound after the Japanese online marketplace restricted listings of Pokémon's 30th anniversary products on Tuesday. The company said the restrictions will remain in place as long as it cannot ensure a safe and secure trading environment. Mercari closed 6.4% lower on Wednesday when the restrictions took effect, then recovered to end 1.4% higher on Thursday. The stock also outperformed the Nikkei 225 on Friday morning, when the index was up roughly 1%.
Mercari said it imposed the temporary ban because a surge in transactions after the anniversary product release could trigger trading disputes and harassment of users. Citibank said Wednesday's drop reflected the listing restrictions and called Mercari's shares oversold, saying the pullback created an investment opportunity. Citi added that growth in the value of goods sold on Mercari's marketplace in the second half of fiscal 2026 exceeded expectations and that a recovery across multiple categories could support double-digit growth, while the trading halt was not significant enough to change its forecasts.