Wednesday's headlines: Sumitomo Mitsui to boost Nikko staff by 11% to gain on Nomura

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Japan's second-biggest lender, will boost its brokerage staff by 800 employees in the next three years in an effort to win customers from the country's leading investment bank, Normura, according to Bloomberg.

SMBC Nikko Securities's hires will include at least 200 mid-career workers and the transfer of 150 staff from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking. Sumitomo Mitsui bought Nikko Cordial Securities the predecessor of SMBC Nikko, from Citigroup in 2009.

Other news:

Clive Capital, the world's largest commodities hedge fund, paid its founder and two other partners a total of $169.5 million last year. [Financial News]

HSBC and Citi are among several foreign banks that have applied to underwrite a wider range of yuan-denominated corporate bonds in China. [BusinessWeek]

Citi is considering leasing offices at the World Trade Center site. [Bloomberg]

The Carlyle Group will buy a 55% stake in the Tiger Management-backed hedge fund firm Emerging Sovereign Group.[HedgeFund.net]