Daiwa Securities Trust & Banking (Europe) plc is the principal asset servicing
and banking operations of Daiwa Securities Group Inc, Tokyo.

Under the proposed restructuring, the company plans to focus on its core
expertise in hedge fund servicing whilst continuing to retain its custody capability.

It is proposed to retain a London presence, which will concentrate on client
relationship management. The Dublin operation, which was established in 1989,
currently employs 110 people.

Karl McEneff, Managing Director, said: "We are very positive about the future of
Daiwa Securities Trust Europe Ltd in Ireland. The consolidation of the business
will allow us to concentrate our resources on our core business of hedge fund
servicing. It is a rapidly growing sector and our Dublin operation has matched
industry growth year on year. Our client base has grown steadily and assets
under administration are now almost USD 15 billion."

Under the restructuring it is proposed to establish an Irish incorporated holding
company Daiwa Securities Trust (Europe) Ltd (DSTE Ltd), with custody and fund
administration activities transferred from DSTBE to Daiwa Europe Trustees
Ireland Limited and Daiwa Europe Fund Managers Ireland Limited respectively.
This proposal is subject to the relevant regulatory approvals.