Japan’s largest regional bank is looking to hire experts to help it invest in riskier assets.
Like other listed Japanese companies, Fukuoka Financial Group is under pressure from policymakers to boost shareholder returns. At the same time, investors are looking to lenders to increase their purchases of Japanese government bonds (JGBs), helping to offset reduced debt purchases by the Bank of Japan as it moves away from ultra-loose monetary policy.
“In the past, the priority for investments was safety and stability,” said Hisashi Goto, president of Fukuoka Financial, based in the largest city in the Kyushu region. “But investors demand profitability and efficient use of capital. That’s why we take appropriate risks and pursue profits.”
