Tsutomu Kijima

Part of Haitong Securities Co., Ltd., Haitong International Japaninvest KK is a financial services company based in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese company provides fundamental coverage of over 400 companies across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Peoples' Republic of China, via their 'connect' coverage, and South Korea. The company also provides investors with a quantitative multi-factor screening of the parent company's rated universe of over 750 stocks, looking for financial strength and earnings reliability. The company conducts extensive 'corporate access' activities, connecting investors to the region's corporates, via conferences, events, field trips, and round tables, in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the US. The company has research sales offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London, and complement those in New York and San Francisco. The company was founded by Rupert J. Eastwood.

Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. (NSC) is a wholly-owned brokerage subsidiary of Nomura Holdings, Inc. (TSE: 8604; NYSE: NMR). Headquartered in Tokyo, the firm was founded in 1925. NSC places a strong emphasis on research, both fundamental and quantitative. In addition to stock and bond underwriting, their activities include IPO and M&A advisory, wealth management, separately managed accounts, fund wrap services, prime brokerage and structured equity finance. Their clients include institutions, hedge funds, private banks and private equity funds as well as corporate clients and retail investors.

BofA Securities Japan Co., Ltd. (BofA Securities Japan) is the wholly-owned Japanese brokerage subsidiary of Merrill Lynch International, Inc., which is ultimately owned by Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC). Founded in 1998, the firm was formerly known as Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Co., Ltd. (MLJS) and changed their name to BofA Securities Co., Ltd. in line with grobal re-branding from BofA Merrill Lynch to BofA in 2020. They subsequently became BofA Securities Japan Co., Ltd. Headquartered in Tokyo, BofA Securities Japan provides stock and bond trading, capital markets, investment banking and other advisory services to corporate clients, financial institutions and government agencies.

Part of Barclays PLC, Barclays Securities Japan Ltd. is a brokerage company based in Tokyo, Japan. Barclays Securities Japan provides brokerage services. The Japanese company was founded in 1987. Kentaro Kiso has been the CEO of the company since 2014.