Nomura Holdings, Inc. provides various financial services to individuals, corporations, financial institutions, governments, and governmental agencies worldwide. The company operates through three divisions: Retail, Asset Management, and Wholesale. The Retail division provides investment consultation services; and offers financial products and investment services for individuals and corporations. As of March 31, 2013, this division operated a network of approximately 177 branches. The Asset Management division is involved in the development and management of investment trusts ranging from low risk/low return products to high risk/high return products; and provides investment advisory services to public pensions, private pensions, governments and their agencies, central banks, and institutional investors. The Wholesale division engages in the sale, trading, and market-making of fixed income-related products and equity-related products. It also engages in underwriting a range of securities and other financial instruments, which include various stocks, convertible and exchangeable securities, investment grade debt, sovereign and emerging market debt, high yield debt, structured securities, and other securities; arranges private placements and engages in other capital raising activities; provides financial advisory services on business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, capital structuring, corporate defense activities, leveraged buyouts, and risk solutions; and operates private equity business. In addition, this division offers financial instruments, such as stocks, debt securities, investment trusts, and variable annuity insurance products for the short, medium, and long term. The company was formerly known as The Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Nomura Holdings, Inc. in October 2001. Nomura Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.