Debby Guthrie

JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income Plc is a closed-end investment trust. It engages in achieving long-term capital growth through investment in small- and medium-sized Japanese companies. The company was founded on January 26, 2000 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

abrdn Asia Focus PLC operates as a closed-end mutual fund. It engages in maximizing total return to shareholders over the long term from a portfolio made up predominantly of smaller quoted companies in Asia. The company was founded on October 19, 1995 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

BofA Securities Japan Co., Ltd. (BofA Securities Japan) is the wholly-owned Japanese brokerage subsidiary of Merrill Lynch International, Inc., which is ultimately owned by Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC). Founded in 1998, the firm was formerly known as Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Co., Ltd. (MLJS) and changed their name to BofA Securities Co., Ltd. in line with grobal re-branding from BofA Merrill Lynch to BofA in 2020. They subsequently became BofA Securities Japan Co., Ltd. Headquartered in Tokyo, BofA Securities Japan provides stock and bond trading, capital markets, investment banking and other advisory services to corporate clients, financial institutions and government agencies.

Pelham Smithers Associates Ltd. is a leading independent research provider that covers the Japanese stock market. The private company is based in London, UK. The British company focuses on Japanese manufacturing, including TMT, autos, pharma, and machinery. Pelham Smithers Associates was founded by James M. Ford and Pelham M. W. Smithers, with Pelham M. W. Smithers serving as the CEO since incorporation.