It is my honor to have been appointed as the new president and CEO of Daiwa Securities Group.

The Daiwa Securities Group formulated "Passion for the Best" 2026, our new three-year medium-term management plan in April of this year. Under the Group's basic management policy of "Maximizing the value of customer assets," all group business activities are designed to grow client asset value over the medium to long term by providing high-quality consulting services and solutions driven by accurate analysis of market environments and in-depth understanding of client needs.

The dividend payment was 25 yen per share for 2H FY2023, making it a total of 44 yen per share for FY2023, with a consolidated payout ratio of 51.8%. In addition to the semiannual dividend payout ratio of at least 50% based on the consolidated financial performance, we have set a minimum dividend of 44 yen during the current mid-term plan.

We also work on enhancing SDGs finance to solve social issues and to develop future society and financial and capital markets. The entire Daiwa Securities Group strives to engage in the creation of a new cycle of funds for the realization of a sustainable and affluent society in order to be a necessary presence for all stakeholders.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to our shareholders for your continued support.