Sample Stories for Troubled Company Reporter - Asia Pacific

According to various reports, Nomura Holdings Inc. is interested
in acquiring the Philippine government's holdings in San Miguel
Corp. and Manila Electric Corporation.

Francisco Alcuaz Jr. of Bloomberg reports that the Philippines
plans to sell 24% of its share in San Miguel Corporation and 29%
in MERALCO in its effort to raise funds and reduce its deficit.

Mr. Alcuaz interviewed Nomura's spokesman Michiyori Fujiwara who
said that Nomura officials expressed their willingness to
participate in the Philippine government's asset-sale program
during a meeting with Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo on Thursday.

Earlier this month, Nomura announced that they are aiming to
boost its profit by 10% and compete with global rivals by either
merging or acquiring with Asian firms, Mariko Katsumura of
Reuters reports.

A recent Nomura statement grabbed by Paolo S. Romero of ABS-CBN
Interactive relates that Nomura desires to position the holdings
company for "higher levels of growth by enlarging the scope of
[its] activities, without being confined to the traditional
bounds of the securities business."  Mr. Romero added that the
company is committed to establishing itself "as a globally
competitive Japanese financial services group."

                      About Nomura Holdings

Nomura Holdings, Inc. -- http://www.nomura.com/ -- is a  
securities and investment banking firm in Japan and have
worldwide operations in more than 20 countries and regions
including Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom,
Singapore and Hong Kong through its subsidiaries.  Nomura
operates in five business segments: Domestic Retail, which
includes investment consultation services to retail customers;
Global Markets, which includes fixed income and equity trading
and asset finance businesses in and outside Japan; Global
Investment Banking, which includes mergers and acquisitions
advisory and corporate financing businesses in and outside
Japan; Global Merchant Banking, which includes private equity
investments in and outside Japan, and Asset Management, which
includes development and management of investment trusts, and
investment advisory services.

As of May 11, 2007, Nomura Holdings still carries Fitch Ratings'
'C' individual rating that was given on April 13, 2006.