banking
Fiscal year 3/2026 began in a highly uncertain global environment, creating significant headwinds for financial forecasts across the banking sector. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), like its peers, entered this period with caution. Market turmoil, triggered by a U.S. tariffs announcement in May 2025, prompted the firm to
neobank
Rakuten Bank delivered a record-setting performance for the first half of fiscal year 2025 (1H FY2025), ending September 30, 2025. Consolidated Ordinary Profit surged 55.3% year-over-year (YoY) to JPY 48.2 billion, while Net Income increased by 53.5% YoY to JPY 34.0 billion. This robust growth was
securities
Rakuten Bank's and Rakuten Securities' Money Bridge service, connecting customers’ Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities accounts, has surpassed 6 million accounts as of September 2025. Rakuten Bank and Rakuten Securities began offering Money Bridge to improve the convenience of services for private asset building and management. Anyone
banking
SBI Sumishin Net Bank will become a consolidated subsidiary of NTT DOCOMO as of October 1st, 2025. Following the consolidation, starting on the same date, the service will be rebranded as “d NEOBANK”, which is representing the wide range of services directly provided by SSNB to both individual and corporate
mergers & acquisitions
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, its consolidated subsidiary MUFG Bank, WealthNavi, a consolidated subsidiary of MUFG Bank, and shareholders of Moneytree have entered into a stock transfer agreement dated July 31, 2025, and as August 29, 2025, MUFG Bank has acquired the issued shares of Moneytree. As a result, Moneytree will
banking
GMO Aozora Net Bank has reached a major milestone as an internet-only bank in June 2025, with the number of corporate account openings exceeding 200,000 and deposit balances surpassing 1 trillion yen. GMO Aozora Net Bank began its internet banking business in July 2018, aiming to be an online
neobank
The Financial Services Agency held an opinion exchange meeting on financial crime prevention measures with the management of 13 neobanks at the beginning of June. This was conducted against the backdrop of diversifying customer needs and the advancement of cashless payments, where new forms of banks with distinctive business models
interest rates
In a recently published FSA Analytical Note (in Japanese), the authors conducted a fact-finding survey on deposit balances and deposit interest rates at various financial institutions in response to recent interest rate increases. While deposit balances have increased overall, differences in the distribution of deposit balance growth rates by business
banking
Sony Financial Group has entered into a license agreement with Peanuts Worldwide LLC regarding the comic "PEANUTS" created by Charles M. Schulz, known for the globally beloved character "Snoopy." This agreement was concluded with the cooperation of Sony Creative Products, which holds the long-term exclusive agent
neobank
NTT Docomo has launched a tender offer for SBI Sumishin Net Bank (SSNB), and the latter has resolved at its board of directors meeting held on Thursday, May 29, 2025 to express its opinion in support of the tender offer, and to recommend that the SSNB's shareholders tender
neobank
Sony Group is embarking on a significant strategic shift by partially spinning off its Financial Services business. The motivation behind this move is multifaceted, encompassing a desire for greater focus on core entertainment and technology areas, enhanced operational agility for both Sony and the financial services entity, and an improved
neobank
Rakuten Bank announced its FY3/25 financial results, exceeding expectations in both ordinary and net profits. Full-year ordinary profits reached ¥71.5 billion, representing a 47.8% year-over-year increase and surpassing the company's guidance of ¥69.0 billion. Net profits also demonstrated strong growth, totaling ¥50.8 billion,