Nomura
Holdings has agreed to acquire Macquarie Group’s U.S. and European public asset
management business for $1.8 billion in an all-cash transaction, marking the
Japanese firm’s most significant overseas acquisition since purchasing Lehman
Brothers assets during the 2008 financial crisis.
The deal,
announced today (Tuesday), will add approximately $180 billion in client assets
to Nomura’s portfolio, increasing its total assets under management to around
$770 billion. Upon completion, more than 35% of Nomura’s managed assets will be
on behalf of clients outside Japan, up from its current international
footprint.
Kentaro Okuda, Nomura’s President and Group CEO
“This
acquisition will align with our 2030 global growth and diversification
ambitions to invest in stable, high margin businesses,” said Kentaro
Okuda, Nomura President and Group CEO. “It will be transformational for
our Investment Management Division’s presence outside of Japan, adding
significant scale in the U.S.”
The
transaction involves Nomura purchasing three Macquarie companies based in
Delaware, Luxembourg, and Austria. The Philadelphia-headquartered business
employs over 700 people and will continue to be led by its current management
team, including Shawn Lytle, President of Macquarie Funds and Head of Americas
for Macquarie Group.
Diversification Strategy
For Nomura,
Japan’s largest brokerage, the move represents a strategic pivot toward more
stable income streams and reduced reliance on volatile trading and investment
banking revenue. The firm has identified global asset management as a key
growth priority as it seeks to capitalize on Japanese individuals’ increasing
appetite to invest their estimated $15.8 trillion in financial assets.
The
acquired business brings established distribution networks in both retail and
institutional segments, with a presence on nine of the top ten retail
distribution platforms in the U.S. About half of its clients are retail
investors, while approximately 35% are insurers.
Chris Willcox, Nomura’s Chairman of the Investment Management Division
“This
transaction will accelerate the expansion of our global Investment Management
business and will be a significant step in building a truly global
franchise,” said Chris Willcox, Nomura’s Chairman of the Investment
Management Division.
The deal is
expected to close by the end of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and
customary closing conditions. Nomura indicated that the financial impact of the
acquisition would be “minimal” on its consolidated results.
Strategic Refocus for
Macquarie
For
Australia-based Macquarie, the divestiture aligns with its strategy to
concentrate on private markets. The firm will retain its public investments
business in Australia, where it will continue to operate a full-service asset
management business across public and private markets.
Ben Way, Head of Macquarie Asset Management
“We
are proud of the public investments business we have built and grown over many
decades,” said Ben Way, Head of Macquarie Asset Management. “This
transaction will allow MAM to build on our leading global position in private
markets, and our leading position in Australian public markets.”
As part of
the agreement, the two firms will collaborate on product and distribution
opportunities. Nomura will serve as a U.S. wealth distribution partner for
Macquarie Asset Management, ensuring continued access for U.S. wealth clients
to Macquarie’s alternative investment capabilities. Additionally, Nomura has
committed to providing seed capital for Macquarie’s alternative funds tailored
for U.S. wealth clients.
The deal
builds on the companies’ recent collaboration in launching the Nomura Macquarie
Private Infrastructure Fund in Japan earlier this year.
Historic Context
This
acquisition represents Nomura’s most significant overseas expansion since it
purchased Lehman Brothers’ Asian and European operations during the 2008
financial crisis. That earlier move, while ambitious, led to integration
challenges and inconsistent profitability in the years that followed.
More
recently, Nomura has shown improved financial performance, with profit more
than doubling to ¥268.8 billion ($1.9 billion) in the nine months ended
December 2024, driven by stronger trading and dealmaking activity. The
company’s overseas operations have been profitable in each quarter of the
current fiscal year.
The
transaction comes amid market volatility following recent global trade
tensions, with Nomura’s stock having declined approximately 26% from a 16-year
high reached in February 2025.
Nomura
Holdings has agreed to acquire Macquarie Group’s U.S. and European public asset
management business for $1.8 billion in an all-cash transaction, marking the
Japanese firm’s most significant overseas acquisition since purchasing Lehman
Brothers assets during the 2008 financial crisis.
The deal,
announced today (Tuesday), will add approximately $180 billion in client assets
to Nomura’s portfolio, increasing its total assets under management to around
$770 billion. Upon completion, more than 35% of Nomura’s managed assets will be
on behalf of clients outside Japan, up from its current international
footprint.
Kentaro Okuda, Nomura’s President and Group CEO
“This
acquisition will align with our 2030 global growth and diversification
ambitions to invest in stable, high margin businesses,” said Kentaro
Okuda, Nomura President and Group CEO. “It will be transformational for
our Investment Management Division’s presence outside of Japan, adding
significant scale in the U.S.”
The
transaction involves Nomura purchasing three Macquarie companies based in
Delaware, Luxembourg, and Austria. The Philadelphia-headquartered business
employs over 700 people and will continue to be led by its current management
team, including Shawn Lytle, President of Macquarie Funds and Head of Americas
for Macquarie Group.
Diversification Strategy
For Nomura,
Japan’s largest brokerage, the move represents a strategic pivot toward more
stable income streams and reduced reliance on volatile trading and investment
banking revenue. The firm has identified global asset management as a key
growth priority as it seeks to capitalize on Japanese individuals’ increasing
appetite to invest their estimated $15.8 trillion in financial assets.
The
acquired business brings established distribution networks in both retail and
institutional segments, with a presence on nine of the top ten retail
distribution platforms in the U.S. About half of its clients are retail
investors, while approximately 35% are insurers.
Chris Willcox, Nomura’s Chairman of the Investment Management Division
“This
transaction will accelerate the expansion of our global Investment Management
business and will be a significant step in building a truly global
franchise,” said Chris Willcox, Nomura’s Chairman of the Investment
Management Division.
The deal is
expected to close by the end of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and
customary closing conditions. Nomura indicated that the financial impact of the
acquisition would be “minimal” on its consolidated results.
Strategic Refocus for
Macquarie
For
Australia-based Macquarie, the divestiture aligns with its strategy to
concentrate on private markets. The firm will retain its public investments
business in Australia, where it will continue to operate a full-service asset
management business across public and private markets.
Ben Way, Head of Macquarie Asset Management
“We
are proud of the public investments business we have built and grown over many
decades,” said Ben Way, Head of Macquarie Asset Management. “This
transaction will allow MAM to build on our leading global position in private
markets, and our leading position in Australian public markets.”
As part of
the agreement, the two firms will collaborate on product and distribution
opportunities. Nomura will serve as a U.S. wealth distribution partner for
Macquarie Asset Management, ensuring continued access for U.S. wealth clients
to Macquarie’s alternative investment capabilities. Additionally, Nomura has
committed to providing seed capital for Macquarie’s alternative funds tailored
for U.S. wealth clients.
The deal
builds on the companies’ recent collaboration in launching the Nomura Macquarie
Private Infrastructure Fund in Japan earlier this year.
Historic Context
This
acquisition represents Nomura’s most significant overseas expansion since it
purchased Lehman Brothers’ Asian and European operations during the 2008
financial crisis. That earlier move, while ambitious, led to integration
challenges and inconsistent profitability in the years that followed.
More
recently, Nomura has shown improved financial performance, with profit more
than doubling to ¥268.8 billion ($1.9 billion) in the nine months ended
December 2024, driven by stronger trading and dealmaking activity. The
company’s overseas operations have been profitable in each quarter of the
current fiscal year.
The
transaction comes amid market volatility following recent global trade
tensions, with Nomura’s stock having declined approximately 26% from a 16-year
high reached in February 2025.