1. Basic Management Policy

Okasan Securities Group Inc. manages a corporate group comprised of itself, a holding company, and the Group's Japanese and overseas consolidated subsidiaries. The Group strives to strengthen enterprise value in a sustained manner through the provision of investment services centering on the securities business and asset management.

2. Basic policy on the distribution of profits

Returning profits to shareholders as an important management issue. The distribution of profits is a policy based on enhancing retained earnings to reinforce management practices and pave the way for future growth. Our fundamental approach entails the distribution of dividends in line with performance and based on the need to maintain stable dividends.

The company's articles of incorporation stipulate the record date for the year-end dividend is March 31 and the record date for the interim dividend is September 30. The company's articles of incorporation also allow the company to set record dates and pay dividends from retained earnings and to determine dividends from retained earnings by resolution of the Board of Directors, pursuant to Article 459, Paragraph 1 of the Companies Act.

3. Important management index

In rapidly changing market conditions, it is important to secure stable profits. Based on this understanding, we consider return on equity (ROE) an important management index. We aim to achieve a stable consolidated ROE of 10% as a business objective.

4. Medium and long-term management strategy

5. Challenges the Company should address

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered values and behaviors in various ways, shaking social structures or norms to their foundations. In particular, the trend toward digitization has accelerated still further. In recent years, against the backdrop of excessive focus on short-term profits, widening inequality, and environmental issues, we have seen the growth of stakeholder capitalism-capitalism that serves the interests of all stakeholders including employees, customers, and society-and a shift to recognize the growing importance of sustainability and measures that seek to create value based on medium- to long-term perspectives. Of these historical paradigm shifts, we regard the pandemic, which highlighted inequalities and divisions, as a symbol of a turning point in the times.

For the securities business in Japan, cash and deposits still account for the majority of personal financial assets. The movement from savings to asset building has been slow. However, the number of individual investors is growing, driven by shortfalls in retirement funds and institutional reforms. Investing in securities has emerged as a clear trend, particularly among the younger generation. We expect new investors and new funds to stream into the securities market. We believe the securities business offers high growth potential in the medium to long term. Driven by downward pressure on commissions and new participants from other industries, the ideal shape of the business model is changing dramatically. Nevertheless, opportunities for expansion and growth are also increasing. We must be capable of responding to change.

Under our current medium-term management plan, we plan to implement various measures to gauge and meet the diversifying needs of our customers and to reliably capture business opportunities. We will integrate Okasan Securities Co., Ltd. and Okasan Online Securities Co., Ltd. which bring with them strengths in the face-to-face markets and online markets, respectively, thereby expanding contact points with our customers and strengthening our services in innovative ways. In addition, led by Securities Japan, Inc., which became our subsidiary in March this year, the group will engage in the IFA and other businesses that are expected to grow and expand.

As a professional securities firm, we believe our mission is to provide added value in asset management to our customers and our purpose is to contribute to the sustainability of society. To establish systems that will allow us to continue to grow and to earn the trust of our customers well beyond the approaching centennial of our founding, we will accelerate reforms and strive to achieve sustainable improvements in corporate value.