Record Full-Year Financials and ROE Target Achieved
Full-year group net revenue rose 15% YoY to JPY 2,167.7 billion; income before income taxes increased 14% YoY to JPY 539.8 billion; net income grew 6% YoY to JPY 362.1 billion (record high for 2nd consecutive year). Full-year ROE reached 10.1%, meeting the group's 8%–10%+ target two years early. Four-segment income before income taxes hit an all-time high of JPY 506.9 billion.
Wealth Management Momentum and Recurring Revenue Strength
Wealth Management income before income taxes rose 23% YoY for the year and Q4 income increased 5% QoQ to JPY 61.2 billion. Recurring revenue reached a record JPY 56.8 billion; recurring revenue net inflows were JPY 422.8 billion (16th straight quarter of net inflows exceeding outflows). Recurring revenue cost coverage ratio was 72% and margin on income before income taxes remained above 40%.
Investment Management AUM and Revenue Gains
Assets under management hit an all-time high (~JPY 136.9–137 trillion). Q4 net revenue for Investment Management increased 42% QoQ to JPY 86.2 billion and business (stable) revenue was at a record high. Alternative AUM rose to JPY 3.6 trillion (≈+JPY 300 billion vs Dec).
Wholesale Full-Year Strength and Equity Product Performance
For the full year, wholesale contributed to company-wide earnings growth with revenue growth across all regions; Global Markets and Investment Banking achieved record high revenue, driving income growth of 21% year-over-year. In Q4 equities revenue rose 6% QoQ to JPY 127.2 billion and equity products reached a record high.
Banking Business Expansion and Deposit Strategy
Banking net revenue grew 6% QoQ to JPY 14.5 billion and loans outstanding accumulated steadily. Management is progressing on deposit sweep implementation and establishing the business base for future growth.
Capital Returns and Shareholder Payouts
Management proposed an ordinary dividend of JPY 24 per share for Q4, bringing the annual dividend to JPY 51 per share and a dividend payout ratio of 41%. Full-year total payout (including RSUs) was 58%; excluding RSUs it was above 50%. A JPY 60 billion buyback program was announced earlier.
Solid Capital and CET1 Position
Common Equity Tier 1 ratio stood at 12.9% at end-March, a marginal decline of 0.1 percentage point from December. Management expects limited CET1 impact from near-term business expansion and plans to self-fund within capital constraints.
Client Base and Sales Activity
Total sales in Q4 remained high (approx. JPY 11.7 trillion, driven partly by major tender offers). Number of flow-business clients rose by ~200,000 QoQ to 1.74 million. Sales of Japanese stocks and demand for foreign products were solid, with investment trust and discretionary investment flows remaining at high levels.