banking
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMBC Group) has delivered a landmark performance for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, navigating a global landscape defined by interest rate pivots and intensifying geopolitical friction. This reporting cycle serves as a strategic proof of concept, demonstrating the group's ability to extract
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred sixty-third edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. This week, we are excited to have new subscribers join us from the Financial Conduct Authority, PT OCBC Sekuritas Indonesia, the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), and Global Financial City Osaka（国際金融都市OSAKA）, among others 🙏 We have left
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred sixty-second edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. This week, we are excited to have new subscribers join us from BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, KPMG, the Central Bank of Egypt, and Paytm, among others 🙏 We are writing to you today from historic Samarkand, where the Asian Development
asset management
The Japanese retail investment landscape has seen a remarkable transition over the past few years, driven by the "shift from savings to investment" and the structural tailwinds of the "New NISA" (Nippon Individual Savings Account) regime. As domestic investors increasingly migrate toward low-cost vehicles, the traditional
banking
SMBC Group flooded us with announcements to modernize and diversify its global business operations last week. These include: * The launch of SMBC Connect, a specialized brand designed to provide seamless, high-tech transaction banking services on a global scale. * The establishment of the Next-Generation Agribusiness Council to address food security and
capital markets
Nomura has delivered a robust set of financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, marking a critical step in the firm’s long-term transformation under President and Group CEO Kentaro Okuda. In a period characterized by sharp global market volatility, Nomura has managed to scale its top-line
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred sixtieth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. This week, we are excited to have new subscribers join us from Rothschild & Co, France's Ministère de l'Intérieur, the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu, the International Islamic University, Islamabad, and the Asian Development
asset management
FOLIO Holdings, a core FinTech subsidiary of the SBI Group, has surpassed the 1 trillion yen assets under management milestone on April 13, 2026. This achievement marks a period of hyper-growth for the Tokyo-based firm. In just one year, the company’s asset base grew by approximately 660.4 billion
asset management
Japan’s retail investment landscape is aiming for a notable milestone. According to the latest Morningstar NISA Overview Report for the first quarter of 2026, net inflows into the public investment trust market have surged past 6 trillion yen for the first time, driven by the continued expansion of the
asset management
Invesco Asset Management (Japan) has begun offering its suite of U.S. and European-listed Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and related services to the Japanese market. The move follows the firm’s registration as a Type 1 Financial Instruments Business Operator, which became effective April 1, 2026. The expansion allows Invesco to
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred fifty-eighth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. This week, we are excited to have new subscribers join us from the NYSE, ICICI Bank, Wallester, the Bank of Uganda, and JCB／株式会社ジェーシービー, among others 🙏 Headlines this week belong to SMBC Group, which begins a new Medium-Term
Weekly
Welcome to the fourth year, and the one hundred fifty-seventh edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. This week, we are excited to have new subscribers join us from Mitsui & Co., Ltd., SBI Digital Markets, Cherubic Ventures, Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking - SGCIB, and Visa, among others 🙏 With