Nomura confronts the ghosts of its past

One year after its humiliating withdrawal from European equities, Nomura’s international businesses are humming. The Japanese firm is set to expand in emerging markets and in the US, while pivoting towards a bigger presence in risk, particularly credit risk. But it still faces its age-old conundrum: outside Japan, it is too big to be a boutique, but not big enough to be a global bulge-bracket investment bank. Can Nomura find a fitting new position as the entire industry restructures?