Nomura (US:NMR) 智通财经网·2025-10-28 08:32Core Viewpoint - Nomura, Japan's largest brokerage and investment bank, reported a surprising 6% decline in net profit for the second fiscal quarter ending in September, with a net profit of 92.1 billion yen (approximately 610.82 million USD), down from 98.4 billion yen in the same period last year. Despite this decline, analysts believe that the new economic stimulus policy being prepared by Japan's Prime Minister, which exceeds last year's scale of 13.9 trillion yen, could serve as a significant catalyst for the Japanese stock market, potentially leading to a new phase of performance and valuation expansion for Nomura [1]. Group 1: Financial Performance - Nomura's wholesale business showed the strongest performance, achieving a substantial year-on-year growth of 43% in the first half of the fiscal year, primarily driven by record revenues from stock trading, coinciding with a significant recovery in global stock market activities and IPO financing. The Nikkei 225 index has surpassed the 50,000 mark, with a year-to-date increase of 25%, outperforming the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices [2]. - Despite the record total assets under management reaching 101.2 trillion yen, the pre-tax profit from Nomura's investment management division declined by 4% year-on-year, contributing to the overall net profit decrease [2]. - The latest performance highlights a strong recovery in Nomura's wholesale business, which had been negatively impacted by market volatility in previous years but has shown more consistent profits in recent quarters due to a robust bull market in global stocks [2]. Group 2: Business Segments - Nomura's wholesale business consists of two main segments: Global Markets, which provides market-making, sales, and trading services related to fixed income and equity markets, and Investment Banking, which offers M&A advisory, equity financing, debt financing, and various risk/solution services to corporate, financial, and public sector clients [3]. - Following the end of the "investor wait-and-see period" triggered by U.S. President Trump's tariff announcements, the impact that previously suppressed large M&A transactions and IPO activities has significantly diminished, leading to a rise in advisory fees for Nomura's investment banking business as transaction activities rebound [3]. Group 3: Market Outlook - The economic stimulus policies led by Prime Minister Kishi are expected to be significantly beneficial for the Japanese stock market and particularly favorable for brokerage, asset management, and investment banking sectors, where Nomura is the largest player. The ongoing "super bull market" in Japanese stocks, driven by these policies, is anticipated to lead to substantial growth in brokerage and investment banking performance and transaction volumes, with continued recovery in equity financing and M&A activities [4]. - The recent "Sanae trade" phenomenon reflects market expectations for the revival of "Abenomics," characterized by strong fiscal stimulus, industrial support, and a cautious stance on tightening monetary policy, leading to significant volatility in stock, bond, and currency markets [5].