Tokyo, 30 July 2026 – Mizuho Financial Group reported a 45% increase in first-quarter profit, strengthening evidence that Japan’s largest banks are benefiting from higher interest rates, improved lending margins and continued demand for corporate finance.
The result adds to a wider banking-sector reset after years of ultra-low rates compressed returns on domestic lending. A more normal interest-rate environment allows banks to earn a wider spread between loans and deposits, although funding costs can also rise as customers demand better returns.
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