WIRE REPORTS

Nabors Receives Commitments for a $700 Million Unsecured Revolving Credit ... PR Newswire (press release) UBS Securities LLC, Citibank, NA, Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch, and Mizuho Corporate Bank (USA) have committed equal sums and are expected to be the ... and more » Chinese PMI Figures Remain Slightly Expansionary but Good Enough to Encourage ... Forex Hound “China's economic activity is decelerating, albeit gradually, on the way to realizing a soft landing,” said Shen Jianguang, an economist at Mizuho in Hong ... and more » Abengoa Solar partners with JGC Corporation to jointly own two 50 megawatt ... REVE In August 2010, Abengoa and JGC concluded the finance agreements with four international commercial banks: SMBC, HSBC, Mizuho and BNP Paribas. ... and more » US dollar falls lower on profit taking in Asian markets eTaiwan News However, Yuichiro Harada, senior dealer at Mizuho Corporate Bank told Dow Jones Newswires that Japanese exporters were likely to treat any rises in the US ... and more » China: Chinese manufacturing grows faster in August Spero News “China's economic activity is decelerating, albeit gradually, on the way to realizing a soft landing,” Shen Jianguang, an economist at Mizuho in Hong Kong, ... and more » Mizuho Ties Up With 7th-Ranked Chinese Bank In Corp Pensions NIKKEI.com TOKYO (Nikkei)--Mizuho Corporate Bank said Thursday that one of its Chinese units expanded its cooperation with China CITIC Bank to include the field of ... and more » Bloomberg: Japan's Otsuka gets set for IPO FiercePharma "We are interested to know how Otsuka will use the money raised," Yoshihisa Okamoto of Mizuho Asset Management tells Bloomberg. "The stock may be popular ... and more » FX Chatter - September 2, 2010 AroundFX (blog) From Mizuho: EUR/USD is looking more bullish from a technical standpoint, says a research note from Mizuho on Thursday. The pair is “Gaining a little ... PanOrient News The Futenma Factor in Ozawa vs. Kan PanOrient News ... appear that the decision to fire SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima from the cabinet took Ozawa by surprise, since it upset some of his electoral preparations. ... and more » Abengoa nets first Japanese mirror-power investor Reuters Africa T: Quote) and Japan's second largest bank by assets Mizuho Financial Corp (8411.T: Quote) -- were involved in the 350 million euro project financing deal ... and more »

DAILY REPORTS

Aug 22 Soccer: Nagoya pull away in J1 championship race Nagoya Grampus moved five points clear of Cerezo Osaka in the J-League first division title race with a 3-1 victory over Gamba Osaka on Sunday night. A gorgeous drive by Naoshi Nakamura from 30 meters out pushed Grampus in front in the sixth minute at Mizuho Stadium. Hideo Hashimoto equalized 11 minutes later, the Gamba midfielder scoring in his sixth straight game. But Hashimoto's goal -- his seventh of the season -- went to waste as Danilson made it 2-1 for Grampus with a header from a penalty-box scramble. (AP) Aug 3 3 major Japanese banks to boost workforces in Asia The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho Corporate Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. plan to increase their workforces in Asia by a total of more than 500 employees by the end of March to handle growing business opportunities in the region, sources close to the matter said Monday. (Mainichi) Jul 2 3 Japanese banks may be hit Three Japanese mega banks may be banned from doing business in the United States under the new law imposing sanctions against Iran, according to a central governmental source. The banks at risk are Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho Corporate Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., according to the source. The U.S. Treasury Department is working on details of the law, and the three banks may ultimately not be excluded from the U.S. market. (Yomiuri) Jun 26 Japan's Mizuho boosts planned share offer to $9.6 bln Japan's No.2 bank, Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T), said it would raise a slightly higher-than-expected $9.6 billion in a previously flagged global offering that will boost its shares outstanding by 38 percent. Mizuho had registered last month to raise up to 800 billion yen ($8.93 billion) in a common share issue to prepare for stricter capital requirements for banks, but held off launching the offering due to weak market conditions. (Reuters) Jun 10 Mizuho to build retained earnings to 1 tril. yen Mizuho Financial Group Inc. plans to build up about 1 trillion yen of retained earnings over three years to cope with globally strengthened capital adequacy requirements, according to the group's midterm management plan. The group also plans to raise capital by making a public offering of new shares and selling about 1 trillion yen of stock holdings to decimate the assets, sources said. The group hopes the measures will help raise its core Tier 1 capital ratio--comprising only common shares and retained earnings--from the current 3.83 percent to around 7.2 percent at the end of March 2013. (Yomiuri) May 30 SDP decides to bolt from ruling coalition The Social Democratic Party said Sunday it will leave the tripartite ruling coalition after its leader, Mizuho Fukushima, was kicked out of the Cabinet last week for opposing its decision to keep a contentious U.S. military base in Okinawa Prefecture. After meeting with the SDP's regional chapter chiefs the same day, Fukushima, who was fired as consumer affairs minister Friday, said the decision was difficult to make but resolute. (Japan Times) May 28 Fukushima thrown out of Hatoyama Cabinet over Futenma row Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama dismissed consumer affairs minister Mizuho Fukushima on Friday over her opposition to the government's plan for the relocation of a key U.S. military base within Okinawa Prefecture that was agreed by Japan and the United States earlier in the day, government sources said. Fukushima, head of the Social Democratic Party, one of two small coalition partners of Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan, is insisting that the government should move the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station outside of the island prefecture or Japan in order to reduce the heavy burden on the people of Okinawa from hosting bases. (AP) May 26 SDP walks a tightrope as it flirts with leaving coalition When Mizuho Fukushima was re-elected president of the Social Democratic Party in December, she promised to pull the SDP out of the ruling coalition if the Futenma air base was relocated within Okinawa, as called for in a 2006 agreement with the United States. Now that it looks increasingly likely that the administration intends to move forward with a plan to relocate Futenma to the Henoko coast in Nago, Okinawa, the SDP is being rocked by internal rifts with opinions split over whether it should part ways with the ruling Democratic Party of Japan. (Japan Times) May 25 Japan PM's coalition strained by US base deal Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama faced a fresh political headache Tuesday when a left-leaning coalition partner attacked his plan to allow a US airbase to be relocated within Okinawa island. Social Democrat leader Mizuho Fukushima, who has threatened to leave the ruling coalition over the contentious issue, visited the southern island and demanded that the unpopular base be moved off Okinawa instead. "Okinawans have clearly shown their will. It will never be permissible to build a base" in coastal Okinawa, Fukushima, the state minister for consumer affairs, said during talks with Okinawa's Governor Hirokazu Nakaima. (AFP) May 10 Mizuho plans $8.7 billion share offering Mizuho Financial Group Inc (8411.T), Japan's second-largest bank, plans to issue about 800 billion yen ($8.7 billion) of common shares to meet stricter capital requirements, three people familiar with the matter said. The offering would boost the amount of shares outstanding by about 30 percent based on the bank's market value of 2.65 trillion yen. (Reuters) Mar 29 3 banks might sever JAL ties Three major creditor banks of Japan Airlines, which went bankrupt in January and sought court protection, have asked a state-backed turnaround body to buy up 172.4 billion yen in outstanding loans the struggling airline owes them, it has been learned. The three megabanks--Mizuho Corporate Bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.--are so frustrated at the slow pace of JAL's turnaround process that they are threatening to sever their creditor-debtor relationship with JAL by asking the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan to purchase the massive loans, informed sources said. (Yomiuri) Mar 19 Govt, industry body spar over trans fats The Consumer Affairs Agency and the Japan Margarine, Shortening and Lard Association are at loggerheads after Mizuho Fukushima, state minister for consumer affairs, announced March 9 that the agency will compile by summer information disclosure guidelines for trans fats. The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization recommend that daily consumption be limited to less than 1 percent of a person's total daily energy intake. In the United States, where trans fats consumption is estimated at 2.6 percent of total daily energy intake, displaying amounts of the substance on the labels of processed foods was made mandatory by law in 2006. Canada and South Korea also have imposed the same obligation. But the Japanese government has not imposed any regulations regarding the use and health effects of trans fats. (Yomiuri) Mar 11 Nikkei climbs to 7-week high as exporters gain Japan's Nikkei average rose 1 percent to a seven-week high on Thursday, with exporters such as Sony Corp (6758.T) climbing after the yen dipped and U.S. wholesale inventories fell unexpectedly in January. Gains in financial shares also helped buoy the broader market, with big banks such as Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T) rising after a rally in their U.S. peers and consumer lenders extending gains after an upbeat brokerage report on the sector. (Reuters) Mar 9 Nikkei down after hitting 6-week high Japan's Nikkei stock index fell Tuesday on profit-taking after rising to a six-week high, but losses were limited as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the release of key Asian indicators. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average fell 18.27 points, or 0.2 percent, to 10,567.65 after hitting a six-week high Monday. The broader Topix index shed 0.3 percent to 924.38. "Investors locked in profits following yesterday's rally. It was technical selling," said Masatoshi Sato, market analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities Co. Ltd. (AP) Feb 19 Nikkei slips as resources hit after Fed; banks down Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 2.1 percent on Friday, with resource-linked shares such as Mitsui & Co (8031.T) hurt after the U.S. Federal Reserve's discount rate hike jolted commodities prices. Property shares tumbled after real estate investment advisory firm Davinci Holdings (4314.OJ) said its liabilites exceeded assets, highlighting risks for the sector, while Mizuho Financial (8411.T) dropped after a brokerage downgrade on recapitalisation concerns. (Reuters) Feb 18 Megabanks embrace Internet banking The nation's three megabank groups, which own a vast network of banking outlets, are embracing Internet banking. In their efforts to compete with banks that specialize in Internet-based banking, the megabanks reward customers who use such banking services with lower commission charges and allow them to manage several accounts at once. Meanwhile, banks are trying make Internet banking easier. Mizuho Bank's membership-based Mizuho Mileage Club allows customers to view a variety of items online, not just transactions with the bank, but stock and credit card details and the balance of their air miles, among others. Lottery tickets can be bought online and winnings collected online. (Yomiuri) Jan 5 Japan to model 'child fund' on French system The government will explore setting up a children's fund modeled after France's family allocations system, which finances many of its child-rearing support measures, Mizuho Fukushima, minister in charge of measures to deal with the low birthrate, said Monday. Fukushima floated the idea during a visit to France, where the system is credited with contributing to a recovery in the birthrate, after talks with her French counterpart, Xavier Darcos. (Japan Times) Dec 21 Nikkei hits 8-wk closing high on techs, banks fall Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.4 percent to an eight-week closing high on Monday, boosted by gains in high-tech exporters such as Advantest Corp (6857.T) after rises in U.S. rivals late last week, with additional help coming from a weaker yen. Banks such as Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T) slid, giving up some of the hefty gains they made last week, as worries that they are likely to issue new stocks to enhance capital linger, driving the broader Topix index slightly lower. (Reuters) Dec 19 Woman held after body found in suitcase; roommate missing A 33-year-old woman was arrested Saturday on suspicion of abandoning the body of a woman--thought to be her roommate--caking the body with cement and stuffing it in a suitcase, police said. According to the police, Tomoko Nitta, unemployed, of Mizuhomachi, Tokyo, allegedly abandoned the naked body of a woman in a plastic suitcase measuring 60 centimeters by 80 centimeters by 50 centimeters at her apartment in mid-December. The body had been bent in half and plastered with what appeared to be cement. (Yomiuri) Dec 4 TSE to blame for trading error: court The Tokyo District Court on Friday ordered the Tokyo Stock Exchange to pay about ¥10.7 billion in damages to Mizuho Securities Co., saying the bourse is more to blame in a case of botched trading in 2005 that caused the brokerage to incur hefty losses. (Japan Times) Dec 1 Extra budget to exceed 2.7 trillion yen Leaders of the three ruling parties agreed Monday the second supplementary budget this fiscal year will be higher than the initially planned 2.7 trillion yen. Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan reached agreement on this with Mizuho Fukushima, head of the Social Democratic Party, and Shizuka Kamei, chairman of the People's New Party. (Asahi) Nov 19 Mitsubishi UFJ offer spells 'harsh world' for rivals Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. may beat Japanese banking rivals to market with its planned sale of as much as 1 trillion yen ($11.2 billion) in stock as regulators demand bigger capital cushions. Chief Executive Officer Nobuo Kuroyanagi said he didn't want to "miss the opportunity" to tap equity investors for the second time in less than a year as smaller competitors Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. are barred from selling common stock for at least another month. (Bloomberg) Nov 14 Big Japanese banks show signs of recovery Mizuho Financial's first profit in five quarters and the doubling of profit by its rival, Sumitomo Mitsui, signal that major Japanese banks are recovering from the economic crisis, albeit slowly, Reuters reported. Japanese lenders have suffered smaller credit losses than their Western rivals, but they have also taken longer to rebound, hampered by rock-bottom interest rates and dependence on domestic lending. (New York Times) Oct 14 Nikkei edges down as banks, exporters weigh Japan's Nikkei stock average edged down 0.2 percent, hit by profit-taking after five days of gains and with exporters such as Canon Inc (7751.T) pressured by a stronger yen. Bank shares such as Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T) slid after their U.S. peers fell ahead of earnings reports from several major banks this week, with JP Morgan Chase (JPM.N) reporting on Wednesday and Goldman Sachs (GS.N) on Thursday. (Reuters) Sep 8 Once high flyers, Lehman traders grounded at Mizuho When Lehman Brothers collapsed last September, Japan's Mizuho Securities elbowed past bigger rival Nomura Holdings to scoop up one of Lehman's prized assets in Tokyo: its hotshot team of electronic traders. A year later, that team of whiz-kid traders, cloistered from the rest of the trading floor by a wall of glass, has produced scant revenue, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter. (Reuters) [ More... ]