Nomura’s Asset Management Strategy and Growing Investor Interest in Japan
By Anton Bridge and Miho Uranaka
TOKYO, Oct 7 (Reuters) – The asset management division of Nomura Holdings is leveraging increased global interest in Japanese investments to attract new clients and expand its international presence, according to Shoichi Ohkoshi, the firm’s CEO.
Japanese stocks have performed strongly recently, and rising bond yields have made the country attractive to investors, leading to expectations of increased capital inflows.
“Ohkoshi noted that many global investors had previously been underweight in Japan during its prolonged economic stagnation. However, interest has now shifted, and these investors are moving toward a neutral stance, with Nomura aiming to encourage them to take an overweight position in Japanese equities.
As part of its strategy to enhance its global footprint, Nomura acquired Macquarie’s public asset management businesses in the U.S. and Europe last year, significantly enhancing its distribution network in regions where organic growth is challenging.
Though details on anticipated new inflows or customer numbers were not disclosed, Nomura Asset Management currently oversees approximately 156 trillion yen ($985.47 billion), making it Japan’s largest investment manager.
Nomura aims to expand its offerings in global equity asset management products, noting the limited number of Japanese firms that manage equities on a global scale. The Macquarie acquisition positions them well for significant growth.
Additionally, the recent increase in Japanese bond yields presents an opportunity to engage global investors. Ohkoshi indicated that while yields remain low compared to other countries, Japanese sovereign bonds are starting to become viable investment options.
An increasing demand for credit among Japanese corporations, which have traditionally relied on bank financing, is creating further opportunities for Nomura to develop and market corporate credit products to global investors.
(Reporting by Anton Bridge and Miho Uranaka; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
