MFG vs SMFG Comparison

Mizuho Financial Group is roughly tied with megabank peer Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group for the status as Japan's second-largest bank after Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. As of March 2024, Mizuho's market share of domestic loans was 6.8%, compared with 7.2% for SMFG and 8.0% for MUFG. In Japan, Mizuho has more of a corporate focus than SMFG, which has a larger retail business. Its overseas weighting is slightly smaller than that of MUFG. Unlike its two Japanese megabank peers, which own foreign banks outright or hold noncontrolling stakes in local banks overseas, Mizuho expanded in recent years beyond its traditional Japanese borrowers, mainly through its core banking and securities units, focusing on the financing needs of global multinational corporations.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group is roughly tied with Mizuho Financial Group for the status of Japan's second-largest bank after Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. As of March 2025, its market share of domestic loans was 7.3%, compared with 8.4% for MUFG. It has a larger consumer finance business than the other two megabanks, owning 100% of the Promise business and SMBC Card. It also controls one of Japan's largest leasing companies and SMBC Aviation Capital, one of the top five aircraft lessors globally. In securities, its SMBC Nikko unit is Japan's third-largest retail broker, although SMFG has lagged somewhat in institutional securities business and asset management.