Market Chatter: Japan's Megabanks, Insurers Race to Unload Cross-Shareholdings as Stocks Rally
Japanese banks and insurers are speeding up sales of strategic shareholdings to cash in on surging stock prices, as investors eye how the proceeds will be used, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (TYO:8316) has already achieved 52% of its 600 billion yen reduction target for the five years through March 2029, while Mizuho (TYO:8411) has cut 110 billion yen and reached 33% of its three-year goal as of March, the news wire said.The three major nonlife insurance groups - Tokio Marine (TYO:8766), MS&AD (TYO:8725), and Sompo (TYO:8630) - aim to eliminate all strategic holdings by March 2031, having already reduced their combined shares from 1.53 trillion yen in March 2024 to 920 billion yen by March 2026, or 40% of their target, the publication said.Recent transactions include major contractor Shimizu (TYO:1803) seeing over 14 million shares sold by Mizuho Bank and Tokio Marine, while five financial institutions offloaded nearly 7 million shares of electronics maker Ibiden (TYO:4062).(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)
