Mizuho Americas
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Financial services |
| Founded | July 1, 2016 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Key people | Shuji Matsuura (Chairman and CEO), Jerry Rizzieri (President and CEO of Mizuho Securities USA) |
| Products | Corporate and investment banking, securities, treasury services, loan markets, equity trading, fixed income sales and trading, leveraged capital markets |
| Parent | Mizuho Financial Group |
Mizuho Americas was founded on July 1, 2016, functioning as the United States-based corporate and investment banking division of Tokyo-headquartered Mizuho Financial Group, operating in the capacity of a US bank holding company.
Operations
Acting as a holding entity, Mizuho Americas oversees financing, securities, treasury services, and corporate and investment banking operations. Its business units encompass loan markets, corporate and investment banking, equity trading, high yield sales and trading, fixed income sales and trading, along with leveraged capital markets, which is responsible for originating both investment grade and non-investment grade debt instruments. By December 31, 2022, Mizuho Americas reported total assets nearing $2 trillion and revenues amounting to 605 billion yen.
The U.S. segment of Mizuho Financial Group also includes Mizuho Bank USA; Mizuho Securities USA LLC, a broker-dealer engaged in securities activities; and Mizuho Trust & Banking Co. (USA).
Divisions
Mizuho Securities USA LLC (MSUSA) functions as an institutional brokerage firm that specializes in equity and futures clearing, execution services, fixed income products, as well as capital raising through mergers and acquisitions, underwriting debt and equity offerings, and providing advisory solutions. It holds registration as an SEC Broker-Dealer and is recognized as a Primary Dealer of US Treasuries by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Additionally, MSUSA is registered with the CFTC as a futures commission merchant (FCM).
The Equity Division within MSUSA delivers equity research, facilitates access to capital markets, and provides broad equity and equity-linked distribution and execution services spanning Asia and the Americas. Its Corporate Access desk coordinates numerous non-deal roadshows. A significant milestone includes MSUSA’s role as Global Joint Coordinator for the Dai-Ichi Life IPO in 2010—Japan’s largest IPO that year—and participation in the $6 billion global offering for Mizuho Financial Group.
In September 2023, Mizuho Americas obtained the lead underwriter position for British semiconductor and software design company Arm Holdings’ IPO, marking the largest IPO of 2023 and the most substantial technology offering since Alibaba Group’s 2014 debut.
MSUSA’s Fixed Income Division caters to central banks, commercial banks, municipalities, hedge funds, asset managers, and insurance companies. Its fixed income portfolio includes US Treasuries, corporate bonds, Debt Capital Markets products, US Agency Securities, securities financing solutions, Strategic Credit Group offerings, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, Japanese Government Bonds, Yen-denominated fixed income products, as well as Emerging Markets debt. The Futures Division offers clearing and execution services to institutional clients through Electronic Execution Services, Clearing Services, and Voice Execution Services.
Mizuho Bank USA concentrates on deposit-taking, lending activities, real estate financing, asset securitization processes, and project finance. In contrast, Mizuho Trust & Banking Co. (USA) provides custody-related services such as master custody and securities lending primarily for U.S. securities investments—covering settlement operations, safekeeping of assets, collection and remittance of dividends, management of corporate actions, cash management solutions, proxy notification and voting facilitation, along with comprehensive reporting services.
People
Shuji Matsuura holds the positions of chairman and CEO, in addition to leading Mizuho Securities USA. Jerry Rizzieri acts as president and CEO of Mizuho Securities USA while also directing Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB). Michal Katz is responsible for overseeing investment and corporate banking, Thomas Hartnett manages fixed-income sales and trading, and Darlene Pasquill leads the equity division.
Acquisitions
In February 2015, Mizuho expanded its U.S. corporate loan portfolio by 50% through the purchase of Royal Bank of Scotland’s $36.5 billion corporate loan assets in the U.S. and Canada. By April 2015, approximately 200 RBS employees specializing in fixed income, debt capital markets, leveraged finance, loans, and derivatives were integrated to bolster Mizuho’s U.S. operations. The acquisition of Dallas-based private equity placement agent Capstone Partners occurred in 2021. In January 2023, Mizuho secured a substantial segment of Credit Suisse’s agency securitized-products trading division. Later that year, Mizuho announced an all-cash acquisition of investment bank Greenhill for an estimated $550 million, inclusive of assumed debt.
In 2020, Mizuho Americas acted as an active bookrunner for Mizuho Financial Group’s $2.5 billion diversity and inclusion bond issuance, marking a notable first for a Japanese bank. Mizuho Americas serves as the title sponsor for the Mizuho Americas Open, the LPGA Tour’s inaugural event at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, New Jersey. The first tournament took place from May 29 to June 4, 2023, with Michelle Wie West serving as Tournament Host. This event features a $3 million prize fund, a field of 120 players, and includes an AJGA Invitational for 24 junior golfers. In addition, Mizuho launched a $500,000 partnership in 2023 with the nonprofit Girls Inc., aimed at enhancing community involvement.