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Ayai Tomisawa
A working group led by the Japan Securities Dealers Association finished a series of monthly meetings in June that discussed details of applying covenants to local corporate notes with lower ratings.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 8, 2024
Japan pushes for greater use of protections on corporate bonds
A Japan Securities Dealers Association working group finished meetings in June on adding covenants to lower-rated corporate notes.
The Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission said Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group repeatedly violated its clients’ confidentiality by breaking firewalls among its units.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 17, 2024
MUFG unit misses out on arranging flurry of bonds in wake of scandal
The Development Bank of Japan, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and NEC dropped MUMSS from arranging planned bond deals.
Suntory Holdings, seeking to expand abroad, is tapping the dollar debt market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 5, 2024
Whiskey maker Suntory sells $500 million bond in rare deal
Proceeds from the Jim Beam owner’s five-year note will be used for general corporate purposes.
Foreign private credit funds are focusing on Japanese investors as they move more money into higher-paying assets.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2024
Private credit chases Japan’s trillions as inflation spurs shift
Private credit funds are betting that inflation will prompt investors to channel more money into riskier overseas investments.
Berkshire Hathaway's latest yen debt deal is the biggest since its debut sale in the currency in 2019, raising bets it may boost holdings of Japanese stocks.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 18, 2024
Berkshire sells ¥263.3 billion of bonds in its biggest yen debt deal since 2019
The seven-tranche deal priced at tighter premiums than Berkshire’s deals over the past two years.
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway would be the first major non-financial overseas debt issuer to sell yen bonds after the Bank of Japan last month scrapped the world’s last negative interest rate.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 9, 2024
Berkshire plans to sell first yen bonds since BOJ move
The U.S. company last turned to the yen bond markets in November, with a ¥122 billion ($803 million) five-tranche deal.
Nissan’s name has been removed from a list of around 44,000 companies eligible for the tax incentive on the economy ministry’s website.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 6, 2024
Nissan ineligible for tax break after underpaying firms: report
Nissan’s name has been removed from a list of companies eligible for the tax incentive on the economy ministry’s website, the Yomiuri Shimbum said.
A record number of Japanese investors have put their money into domestic private credit deals in search of higher returns this year.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 12, 2023
Private credit is attracting record numbers of Japanese investors
An unprecedented 236 limited partners have provided money to private capital managers this year through September, more than triple the level of 2017.
There is a sense of caution in the credit market that the Bank of Japan will finally tighten its ultraeasy policy.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 4, 2023
Turmoil from BOJ policy bets shakes up Japan credit market
Companies rush to raise money to take advantage of low rates while they still can but investor demand for corporate bonds is weakening.
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway sold yen bonds at lower costs in its second Japan deal of the year as speculation mounts that the billionaire investor may put more money into the nation’s share market.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 17, 2023
Berkshire sells yen debt amid talk it’s eyeing more Japan stocks
Berkshire is one of the largest overseas issuers of yen debt, and 32 out of its past 40 bond deals have been in the Japanese currency.
Many of the wealthy in Japan are becoming more keen to park their cash in private assets like equity, credit and real estate that aren't traded in public markets.
BUSINESS
Sep 20, 2023
Brokers tap demand for private assets among Japan's wealthy
Private assets are booming globally after decades-high inflation and rapid interest-rate hikes weighed on both shares and bonds.
Nippon Life Insurance headquarters in Osaka. Japanese insurers are seeking more investments in private credit, attracted to their floating interest rates as global borrowing costs jump.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 18, 2023
Private credit boom attracts Japan insurers with $2.6 trillion
Dai-ichi Life Insurance and Nippon Life Insurance are among companies that are seeking more investments in private credit.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 7, 2023
Rakuten’s ¥1.8 trillion debt fuels concern despite funding
The e-commerce giant has racked up four years of losses as its mobile-phone business drains cash.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2023
MUFG raises ¥570 billion in biggest bond deal this year with bumper coupon
The lender's coupon of 2.127% on the perpetual noncallable 10-year and one-month Additional Tier 1 bonds is the highest on such notes for the bank since 2015.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 16, 2023
Japanese firms turn to loans for longer-term funding amid BOJ risks
Anecdotal evidence suggests Japanese loan rates are now more favorable than the cost of selling long-tenor bonds for capital investment and refinancing needs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 22, 2022
E-commerce giant Rakuten cut further into junk territory by S&P
The group's long-term rating was lowered to BB from BB+ because of 'slow improvement in its mobile business,' the ratings firm said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 20, 2022
Overseas credit attracts Japanese investors weary of low yields
The renewed interest comes after crippling losses on fixed income globally coupled with a surge in the cost of currency protection had Japanese investors offloading overseas debt in 2022.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 16, 2022
Rakuten seeks $500 million in rare Japanese junk bond deal
The bond offering is gaining attention given the fledgling junk debt market in Japan, where weaker firms aren't compelled to sell speculative-grade notes due to easy access to bank loans.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 3, 2022
SMBC Nikko’s issues let small firms grab credit market share
Tokai Tokyo Securities and Shinkin Securities moved up in the league tables in the first half of the financial year that started April, surpassing SMBC Nikko, data shows.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 30, 2022
Maruha Nichiro plans to issue Japan’s first blue bond to help ocean
The firm tapped Mizuho Securities and Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities to manage the u00a55 billion ($35 million) offering of five-year notes.

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