Mizuho Securities President Yoshiro Hamamoto said in an interview with Reuters that he intends to make attracting investment into Japan by overseas companies and investors a priority strategy. Hamamoto pointed out that "when it comes to Japanese companies' M&A, overseas expansion inevitably tends to be the main focus, but drawing in investment into Japan from Western companies will be extremely important," adding that "the strategic focus going forward is, if anything, more on that side." In allocating limited capital and personnel, he made clear the policy of emphasizing ROE and inbound business, prioritizing highly profitable U.S. deals and Japan-related deals aimed at strengthening industrial capabilities. He described overseas investors' investment in Japanese equities as "rice, the staple food," while saying that "the big steak is, after all, finding land for a semiconductor plant and arranging financing for it," indicating his view that there are major profit opportunities in deals supporting overseas companies seeking to enter Japan. Mizuho Securities will leverage group functions including Mizuho Bank and Mizuho Trust & Banking to support overseas companies and funds in land acquisition, fundraising, joint ventures and equity investments with domestic companies, and acquisitions. In its investment banking division, the firm is expanding personnel both in Japan and overseas, increasing sector bankers globally, while in Japan, as M&A deals run at record-high levels and advisory personnel are in short supply, he indicated the need to add several dozen staff, mainly junior bankers.
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.Mizuho Securities president makes attracting overseas investment into Japan and inbound M&A advisory a priority strategy, expanding personnel and leveraging group functions to capture high-profit deals.
Mizuho Trust & Banking is named as a group function to be leveraged in supporting overseas companies with land acquisition, fundraising, and acquisitions.
