5 Major Japan Banking Groups’ Net Profit Jump 42 Pct in April-June

Tokyo, Aug. 3 (Jiji Press)–Five major Japanese banking groups’ combined net profits increased 42.3 pct from a year earlier to 1,956.4 billion yen in April-June, according to their latest earnings reports released by Monday. The profit growth reflected improved lending margins on the back of the Bank of Japan’s recent rate hikes, as well as increased commission income thanks to robust sales of investment trusts and other products amid rising stock prices. Four of the five banking groups, excluding Resona Holdings Inc., logged record net profits for the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.’s consolidated net profit soared 48.2 pct to 809.4 billion yen, while Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. saw its net profit jump 33 pct to 501.3 billion yen. Net profit expanded 45.5 pct to 422.9 billion yen at Mizuho Financial Group Inc. and 56.6 pct to 142.2 billion yen at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Resona posted a net profit of 80.5 billion yen, up 14.2 pct. For the full year ending in March, Mizuho and Resona revised up their net profit forecasts in light of the BOJ’s latest rate hike in June, while the other three kept their projections unchanged. Regarding the coordinated yen-buying market intervention by Japanese and U.S. currency authorities on Friday, a Mitsubishi UFJ official said, “There will be no major impact because our assumed exchange rate is in the lower 150-yen range.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]