Masami Sawato

SBI Securities Co., Ltd. is the broker/dealer subsidiary of SBI Financial Services Co. Ltd., itself a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, Inc. (TYO: 8473) in Japan. The firm was founded in 1944 as SBI eTrade Securities Co., Ltd. and changed their name to SBI Securities Co., Ltd. in 2008. Headquartered in Tokyo, SBI Securities provides securities trading, underwriting and private placement services, which are offered through the Internet and call centers. Besides domestic stocks, the product lineup extends to investment trusts, foreign stocks, futures and options, FX (foreign exchange margin trading), domestic and foreign bonds, etc. to meet the various needs of investors, supporting efficient fund management of individual investors.

Credit Suisse Securities Japan Ltd. (CSS Japan) is the Japanese securities brokerage subsidiary of Credit Suisse AG, which is owned by Credit Suisse Group AG (SWX: CSGN; NYSE: CS) in Switzerland. The firm was founded in 1985 as First Boston Securities Tokyo. It subsequently became CS First Boston Securities in 1989 and Credit Suisse First Boston in 1996. In 2006, they began operating as Credit Suisse Securities Japan Ltd. Headquartered in Tokyo, CSS Japan performs underwriting, research, sales and trading of government and corporate bonds, foreign exchange, securitized products and real estate-related assets for institutional clients, corporations and government bodies. In addition, the firm offers sales, trading, research, financing, prime brokerage and market-making in Japanese and international equity and equity-related securities, options, futures, risk management and hedging products.