Management, operations and client service

Policy regarding customer-oriented business operations

Solicitation policy

“Deadline” for specified investor system

Validity period in case of transition to a specific investor

Based on Article 34-3 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, the period during which the Company treats customers other than specified investors (hereinafter referred to as "general investors") as specified investors will be from the date when the Company accepts the customer's offer regarding this transaction until the following "deadline" which arrives every year. After the day following the "deadline", customers will be treated as general investors, so any customer wishing to continue will need to apply for renewal. A request to return to treatment as a general investor may be made at any time after the transition approval date.
Deadline: 31 August

Validity period in case of transition to a general investor

The period during which the Company treats a customer of a specified investor as a general investor is valid from the day when the Company accepts the customer's offer regarding this treatment until the customer requests to be treated as a specified investor again.

Approach to exercising voting rights

Basic policy
The Metzler Group, including the Company, shall exercise voting rights only for the benefit of its customers. In order to increase corporate value over the long term and prevent damage to corporate value, we will carefully examine the content of each agenda item, decide whether to abstain or disapprove, and exercise appropriate voting rights.

Criteria for exercising voting rights
The Metzler Group, including the Company, exercises voting rights from the following perspectives:
1. Fairness of shareholder rights
2. Aptitude and fairness of business executives
3. Reward adequacy and transparency
4. Independence of Audit and Supervisory Board Members
5. Efficiency of capital means
6. Transparency of information disclosure
7. Fairness of acquisition

The Metzler Group, including the Company, exercises voting rights after considering environmental and social responsibilities, examining conflicts of interest for individual proposals, and conducting cost analysis.

As a general rule, the Metzler Group, including the Company, has a policy of exercising all voting rights, but it is possible that voting rights may not be exercised in the event of inappropriate costs or trading restrictions.

Foreign equities shall be dealt with in consideration of the actual situation of the country concerned.