Mariko Konishi

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.

Credit Agricole Securities (USA), Inc. (Credit Agricole Securities USA) is a full service broker-dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 2004 and formerly known as Calyon Securities USA, Inc. and Credit Lyonnais Securities, Inc. They are a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole Global Partners, Inc., which is owned by Rue la Boétie SAS’s Credit Agricole SA (EPA: ACA) in France. Credit Agricole Securities USA provides investors’ customized solutions to ensure they achieve their execution objectives in the tradition of service excellence and product innovation.

JonesTrading Institutional Services LLC (JonesTrading) is a registered broker/dealer headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. The firm was founded in 1975 and is owned by Jones & Associates, Inc. JonesTrading provides equity block trading services to institutional money managers and hedge funds in North America. They proactively source the liquidity required to execute outsized blocks in domestic and global equities and option listed derivatives, at advantageous prices. The firm offers robust access to both developed and emerging market trading.

Mizuho Securities USA LLC is the US-based securities broker/dealer and futures commission merchant arm of Mizuho Americas LLC, ultimately held by Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (TYO: 8411, NYSE: MFG) in Japan. Headquartered in New York City, the firm was founded in 1994 and provides institutional and corporate clients access to commodity and financial markets around the world. Mizuho Securities USA covers the following industries: Consumer, Energy, Financial Institutions, Financial Sponsors, Healthcare, Industrial & Diversified Industries, Power, Utilities & Infrastructure, Real Estate, and Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT). The firm and their affiliates hold memberships on all major futures and options exchanges worldwide.

DLJ Music Holdings LLC engages in the provision of music recording services. The company was founded by Josh Deutsch, John H. Josephson, and Terence Lam and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Pictet Asset Management (Japan) Ltd. (Pictet AM Japan) is the wholly-owned Japanese asset management subsidiary of Pictet Asia Pte Ltd., itself a subsidiary of Banque Pictet & Cie SA in Switzerland. Founded in 1986, Pictet AM Japan is headquartered in Tokyo and manages investment funds for institutional investors.

University of Washington functions as a College/University. The company is headquartered in Seattle, WA.

Barclays Capital, Inc. is a registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1997 and is a subsidiary of Barclays Group US, Inc., ultimately owned by Barclays plc (LON: BARC) in Great Britain. Barclays Capital provides large corporate, government and institutional clients a full spectrum of prime brokerage services which includes equities and fixed income financing, OTC Clearing, Futures and Foreign Exchange Prime Brokerage and access to industry insights and analytics from their Strategic Consulting team.

Part of First Financial Holding Co., Ltd., First Capital Management, Inc. is a company based in Taipei, Taiwan. The Taiwanese company specializes in researching the domestic and international financial environment and interpreting trends in various industries. The research department focuses on investment services and strives to be unique and sophisticated. The company has gained recognition in the industry for its professionalism. In addition to continuing to develop in more professional areas, the company will also move towards diversified development in the future, extending its research to new financial products, bonds, venture capital, and other fields. The company was founded in 1992. The CEO is Yi Kuang Chen.

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.

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 BNP Paribas SA, BNP Paribas Securities Japan Ltd. is a security brokers, dealers, and Japanese flotation company. The company is based in Tokyo, Japan. The company was founded in 1987. The CEO is Philippe Avril.

HSBC Securities (Japan) Ltd. (HSBC-SJ) is the Japanese brokerage arm and a subsidiary of London-based HSBC Holdings Plc (LSE: HSBA; NYSE: HBC). Located in Tokyo and formerly known as James Capel Pacific Ltd., the firm became part of HSBC in 1997. HSBC-SJ is an equity-oriented brokerage firm whose activities encompass fixed-income and treasury as well. The firm specializes in Japanese securities, provides financial advisory, offers prime brokerage services to third-party alternative asset managers and private banking services geared at high-net worth individuals. Their clients include central banks, Japanese and international corporations, institutions, and financial institutions. The firm provides equity-related research and trading, and takes a global approach to quantified strategic analysis and company valuation focused on economic value added and discounted cash flow. Fixed-income trading and underwriting capabilities comprise Yen-denominated, Asian and international bonds, euro medium-tem notes and private placements, debt finance and alternative investment products.

Jefferies (Japan) Ltd. (JJ) is the Tokyo branch and subsidiary of US-based Jefferies Asia Holdings II Pte Ltd., ultimately held by Leucadia National Corp. (NYSE: LUK) in the US. Established in 1996, the firm focuses on Asian markets and provides brokerage and investment banking services to institutional and corporate clients located primarily in Asia and the Middle East. Their activities include sales and trading of Japanese equity, equity-linked and structured products, the distribution of equity research and execution services in cooperation with US and European offices and the provision of electronic connectivity throughout Asia. They issue equity shares through GDRs and ADRs, and are a leading issuer of convertible bonds, high-yield in particular. In-house research covers a variety of industries including the maritime sector, infrastructure, logistics, outsourcing, technology and IT. In addition to Japan, JJ focuses on countries such as China and India, providing a range of services to Chinese and Indian companies, including access to international equity and debt capital markets, securities underwriting, US public and private offerings and cross-border M&A advisory. They also cooperate with private equity and venture capital firms focused on the Chinese and Indian markets.

CLSA Ltd. is the Hong Kong-based institutional brokerage subsidiary of CITIC Securities Co., Ltd. (SSE: 600030, SEHK: 6030), a full-service investment bank headquartered in China. Founded in 1986, the firm provides sales and execution services to global investors and corporates.

Deutsche Securities, Inc. (DSI) is the Japanese brokerage subsidiary of Deutsche Bank Holdings (Luxembourg) SARL, itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) in Germany. The firm was established in 1986 as Deutsche Bank Capital Markets (Asia) Ltd. and became Deutsche Securities Inc. in 2006. Located in Tokyo, DSI is the investment banking platform for the Deutsche Bank group in Japan. The firm provides services including research, sales and trading of bonds and equities, capital raising and M&A advisory for corporate and institutional clients. They have particular expertise in sectors such as automotive, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, energy, financials, media, telecommunications, technology, transportation and trading companies. The M&A division is in a leadership position in Japan, and structures deals including overseas investments by manufacturers, asset sales for restructuring corporations, and domestic mergers and acquisitions. DSI's activities include products and services related to fixed-income, equities and commodities as well as real estate investments and financing. Activities related to foreign exchange and money market are primarily operated by the Tokyo branch of Deutsche Bank.

Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co., Ltd. is the Japanese broker-dealer subsidiary of Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) in the US. Headquartered in Tokyo, the firm was founded in 1984 and provides investment banking, sales & trading, real estate and investment management products and services. It offers securities services including global sales and trading in fixed income and equities, debt and equities financing and investment research. The firm is a provider of products and services in fixed income, equities, global capital markets and investment research to corporations and institutional clients in Japan.

CLSA Singapore Pte Ltd. is a broker-dealer headquartered in Singapore. The firm is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CLSA Ltd., which is owned by CITIC Securities Co., Ltd. (SHA: 600030; OTCMKTS: CIIHF) in China. CLSA Singapore provides sales and execution services to institutional investors and corporates world-wide.

Macquarie Capital Securities (Japan) Ltd. (MCS-J) is a securities brokerage firm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Macquarie International Investments, which in turn is a subsidiary of Macquarie Bank Ltd. (SY: MBL), based in Australia. Established in 2004 following the acquisition of the Asian equity division of ING Groep NV (NYSE: ING) by Macquarie, MCS-J provides trading and financial analysis services to Japanese and overseas institutions as well as hedge funds. The firm specializes in Japanese equity, economic research, fundamental research at the company level, quantitative analysis, information on infrastructure funds and other funds, equity derivatives and structured products. They also act as intermediary for Macquarie Bank in the equity-linked notes private placement market. The firm's analysts research themes including Japanese reflation, global industries and Asian technologies. MCS-J is located in Tokyo, and operates in close cooperation with Macquarie sales teams in London, Geneva, Frankfurt, New York and Boston.

Part of Macquarie Group Ltd., Macquarie Capital Securities (Malaysia) Sdn. The company is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Bhd. is a diversified financial group that offers asset management and finance, banking, advisory, and risk and capital solutions across debt, equity, and commodities. The Malaysian company was founded in 1996. The CEO is Jamaludin Zakaria.

Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd. (MUMSS) is an independent securities brokerage firm headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The firm was founded in 1948 through a joint venture between Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Holdings Co. Ltd. and Morgan Stanley Japan Holdings Co. Ltd. MUMSS offers domestic retail brokerage services to corporate and institutional clients.

CLSA Securities Korea Ltd. is the South Korean brokerage subsidiary of Netherlands-based CLSA BV, ultimately held by CITIC Securities Co., Ltd. (SHA: 600030) in China. Headquartered in Seoul, the firm was founded in 2002 and provides sales and execution services to institutional investors and corporates world-wide.

Commons Asset Management, Inc. is a Japanese investment company that offers various investment trusts such as the "Commons 30 Fund", "The 2020 Vision", and "Child Trust" to help clients form assets while distributing risks with long-term investment. The private company is based in Tokyo, Japan. The company's "Tsumite Plan" allows clients to start investing with confidence for as low as 3000 yen per month. and has subsidiaries in Japan. The company was founded in 2007 by Ken Shibusawa, and Tetsuro Ii has been the CEO of the company since 2007.

Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. (Broker) (Mizuho Securities-Broker) is the brokerage division of Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd., ultimately owned by Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (TYO: 8411; NYSE: MFG) in Japan. The firm was originally founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Tokyo with a network of offices throughout Japan as well as overseas representation through Mizuho entities or strategic partners (in Great Britain, Switzerland, the US, Hong Kong, Mainland China, South Korea, Singapore and India). Mizuho Securities-Broker provides enhanced equity and fixed income execution services for their clients who includes private individuals in Japan, domestic and foreign institutions, non-financial companies, financial institutions and public corporations in the securities and investment banking fields.

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.

Part of Moody's Corp., Moody's Japan KK is a Japanese company that provides investment research. The company is based in Tokyo, Japan. The company was founded in 1985. The CEO is Kei Kitayama.

Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd. (Broker) (Daiwa Broker) is the brokerage division of Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd., which is ultimately held by Daiwa Securities Group, Inc. (TYO: 8601). The firm is headquartered in Tokyo and was founded in 2012. Daiwa Broker provides brokerage services to their clients.

FOURPOINTS Investment Managers SAS (FOURPOINTS) is an investment management subsidiary of Homa Capital SA in France. The firm was founded by Béatrice Philippe in 2012 when PIM Gestion France and IT Asset Management merged. Headquartered in Paris, FOURPOINTS offers investment solutions for retail, institutional and CGPI clients. It is available through a wide variety of management methods: management under mandate, managed management, equity funds and diversified funds of funds.

CLSA Americas LLC is a FINRA registered broker-dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 2012 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of CLSA Americas Holdings, Inc., which is ultimately owned by CITIC Securities Co., Ltd. (SHA: 600030) in China. CLSA Americas offers a full suite of execution services throughout North America and Latin America.

Robo Global LLC is an index, advisory, and research firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The firm was founded in 2013 and was acquired by VettaFi LLC in 2023. Robo Global develops investment solutions and provides investment products that target the robotics, automation and related technology sectors.

Walden Research Japan, Inc. provides investment research. The private company is based in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese company was founded in 2009. The CEO is Yoshiyuki Muroya.