broker/dealer
The Japanese brokerage landscape is facing ever tighter competition this spring as major players and nimble FinTechs roll out new features aimed at capturing a broader range of retail and sophisticated investors. From lowering the cost of entry for ETFs to leveraging government digital ID infrastructure for lightning-fast onboarding, here
broker/dealer
SBI Securities and Okasan Securities have entered into an absorption-type split agreement. Under the terms of the deal, Okasan Securities will transfer a significant portion of its "Okasan Online" business to SBI Securities, the industry leader. The transfer, scheduled to take effect on October 13, 2026, marks a
sustainability
A recently published report by Pensions for Purpose in collaboration with MUFG First Sentier investigates how global asset owners are integrating nature and biodiversity into their investment processes. While the financial sector has historically focused on climate change, this research highlights a growing shift toward recognizing biological loss as a
artificial intelligence
SoftBank Group has signaled a return to its high-octane investment roots, having secured a staggering $40 billion bridge loan to bankroll its deepening partnership with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. The unsecured facility, which matures in March 2027, represents a significant escalation in Chairman Masayoshi Son’s quest to dominate the generative AI
asset management
For decades, the Japanese investment trust market has chased the "trillion-yen" milestone as the ultimate mark of success. But a new report from Morningstar suggests that while Japan is finally seeing the birth of 10-trillion-yen behemoths, the industry is still struggling to cultivate "true" flagship funds
IPO
In the high-stakes arena of private equity and venture capital, timing is everything. For FUNDINNO (TSE Growth: 462A), Japan’s premier digital platform for unlisted equities, the timing of mega-deals has resulted in a sluggish first quarter for the fiscal year ending October 2026. However, to judge the company solely
capital markets
Woodstock has completed a sweeping overhaul of its service model, introducing 24-hour trading capability and completely eliminating transaction fees for US stocks. The announcement was made during a media briefing held in Tokyo, where Woodstock CEO Brian Yun outlined the company’s aggressive strategy to capture the burgeoning interest in
broker/dealer
Penguin Securities has completed its Pre-Series A financing round, bringing the Singapore-based group’s cumulative funding to USD 18 million. The announcement signals a continued appetite among investors for infrastructure plays that bridge the gap between the burgeoning digital asset economy and traditional financial markets. The funding round was structured
asset management
SBI Global Asset Management (SBIGAM) has delivered a historic quarter, achieving record-breaking financial results and successfully executing key strategic initiatives. These outstanding achievements are the culmination of a consistent, long-term strategy focused on delivering superior value through innovation, scale, and customer trust. The results from this quarter unequivocally validate SBIGAM&
asset management
The Financial Services Agency (FSA) conducts the Fund Monitoring Survey in light of requests from the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and others for national authorities to collect data on funds of a certain scale from the perspective of financial stability, as well as for the Agency's
payments
Nudge has announced the formation of the "Entertainment × Fintech Consortium," a strategic alliance designed to facilitate co-creation between the entertainment sector and domestic financial institutions. The initiative marks Japan’s first industry-spanning ecosystem aimed at integrating financial services with the entertainment business model. Strategic Overview Nudge formally launched
NBFC
MUFG Bank, a consolidated subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, has entered into an investment agreement with Shriram Finance, a leading non-banking financial company (NBFC) in India, and its major shareholders, Shriram Ownership Trust and Shriram Capital, to subscribe to a preferential allotment of 20% in equity shares in Shriram