Japan

Agency expects no immediate change in ratings as lenders' profitability expected to remain weak in FY2011.

Japanese banks have overcome the stress scenario in 2008 but still has low operating profits relative to balance sheets.

Agency still cautious as Europe's sovereign credit crisis can pull down anemic growth of Japanese lenders.

ANZ launched a new sub-branch in Nagoya to provide more convenient wealth management services to  Japan’s major metropolitan centres.

Lenders had anemic recovery despite large common stock issuance that boosted their core capitalisation.

Lender debuts world’s first branches with cutting-edge technology to reengineer banking process in innovative Japanese market.

Misery loves company, with Shinsei Bank continuing its slump as it fell to its lowest in two months in Tokyo trading after news went around on the supposed collapse of merger talks with equally beleaguered Aozora Bank.

The bank raked in the highest profit in seven quarters and topped combined profits of Japan's megabanks.

Japanese bank lending slumped to its lowest since 2005, with some firms deferring capital investments while others turned to bond markets in a bid to raise funds.

Source says selling of shares is aimed to comply with more stringent capital requirement and for expansion.

Sixteen Japanese regional banks posted core profits of US$3.55 billion in the first half of fiscal 2009. The figure is down 11 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to Standard & Poor's.

General Electric Company's financial services segment GE Capital has appointed Steve Sargent as president and CEO of its business operations in Asia Pacific.

Moody's Investors Service has placed on review for possible downgrade various ratings of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.

Many seasons have passed since we last talked about the readiness of Japan’s mighty finance houses to boldly go where few Japanese banks had gone before - overseas. Then, Daiwa Securities chief, Shigeharu Suzuki, was boasting of a 100b Yen commitment to regional investment, while Nomura announced its intention to acquire an Indian investment bank. Since those joyful days we have had the season of ‘Thanksgiving’ – when a summer of bad news such as failed bank, Northern Rock, finally gave way to another upsurge in global equity markets. Then came the season of ‘Panic’, after Bear Sterns famously imploded and speculation of who would be next spread like a fever.

Many seasons have passed since we last talked about the readiness of Japan’s mighty finance houses to boldly go where few Japanese banks had gone before - overseas. Then, Daiwa Securities chief, Shigeharu Suzuki, was boasting of a 100b Yen commitment to regional investment, while Nomura announced its intention to acquire an Indian investment bank. Since those joyful days we have had the season of ‘Thanksgiving’ – when a summer of bad news such as failed bank, Northern Rock, finally gave way to another upsurge in global equity markets. Then came the season of ‘Panic’, after Bear Sterns famously imploded and speculation of who would be next spread like a fever.

Many seasons have passed since we last talked about the readiness of Japan’s mighty finance houses to boldly go where few Japanese banks had gone before - overseas. Then, Daiwa Securities chief, Shigeharu Suzuki, was boasting of a 100b Yen commitment to regional investment, while Nomura announced its intention to acquire an Indian investment bank. Since those joyful days we have had the season of ‘Thanksgiving’ – when a summer of bad news such as failed bank, Northern Rock, finally gave way to another upsurge in global equity markets. Then came the season of ‘Panic’, after Bear Sterns famously imploded and speculation of who would be next spread like a fever.