Panasonic Holdings no longer owns any of the leasing company once known as Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Panasonic Finance. An extraordinary report filed on 2 October 2026 shows the business, now called SMTB Leasing Co., Ltd., bought back all of Panasonic's shares on 1 October, the same day it took on a new name and two new principal shareholders.
How the stake moved
The board resolved on 31 August to repurchase every share Panasonic Holdings owned, conditional on a shareholder meeting on 15 September approving the buyback and a third-party share allotment. It also resolved to dispose of shares to Fuyo General Lease by third-party allotment. On 1 October, the same day as the buyback and the payment date for the allotment, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank transferred part of its holding to Fuyo General Lease and Yokohama Financial Group.
| Holder | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank | 10,046,111 votes (84.90%) | 5,324,823 votes (45.00%) |
| Panasonic Holdings | 1,786,830 votes (15.10%) | None |
| Fuyo General Lease | None | 4,733,176 votes (40.00%) |
| Yokohama Financial Group | None | 1,774,942 votes (15.00%) |
The trust bank's 84.90% starting point is measured before the buyback; the report says its holding was 100% of voting rights immediately after the buyback took effect.
Control and governance
The filing records that Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank and its wholly owning parent, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group, ceased to be the company's parent on 1 October, with the bank's 45.00% counted as indirect for the group. Fuyo General Lease and Yokohama Financial Group are listed as new principal shareholders. Share capital is ¥25.6bn across 11,832,941 common shares.
The company's name changed from 1 October under a resolution of a 30 July shareholder meeting. Separately, a director and vice president ceased to be a representative director on the same date.
The report gives no price for the buyback or the share transfers, and no reason for Panasonic's exit. Voting percentages alone do not settle questions of accounting consolidation.