Daiwa Securities Group is resuming an expansion of its mergers and acquisitions business to capitalize on a dealmaking boom at home and lift its standing abroad.

Japan¡¯s second-largest brokerage has restarted hiring merger advisory staff overseas and is boosting a team of cross-border deal specialists, CEO Akihiko Ogino said in an interview.

The comments mark a shift from Ogino¡¯s more cautious posture six months ago, when he said he ordered a pause on such hiring after U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s tariff announcements clouded the outlook for deals. Since then, Daiwa has reported strong growth in M&A-related earnings thanks to a jump in transactions in Japan.