Mizuho demonstrated robust capital allocation in 2026Q4 by returning 819.6 billion yen to shareholders while simultaneously executing a 65.1 trillion yen purchase of investment securities.
| Metric | Mar'26 | Mar'25 | Mar'24 | Mar'23 | Mar'22 | Mar'21 | Mar'20 | Mar'19 | Mar'18 | Mar'17 | Mar'16 | Mar'15 | Mar'14 | Mar'13 | Mar'12 | Mar'11 | Mar'10 | Mar'09 | Mar'08 | Mar'07 | Mar'06 | Mar'05 | Mar'04 | Mar'03 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 590.24B | -3.82T | 1.88T | 8.87T | 4.92T | 16.61T | 1.9T | -2.64T | 2.97T | 4.69T | 4.1T | 6.65T | -2.29T | 5.86T | -1.79T | 6.05T | 13.43T | 3.5T | 170.71B | -3.1T | -1.67T | 4.42T | 6.01T | -2.2T |
| Operating CF Growth % | 115.45% | -302.7% | -78.74% | 80.33% | -70.4% | 773.51% | 172.15% | -188.86% | -36.75% | 14.28% | -38.33% | 391.11% | -139.02% | 427.4% | -129.57% | -54.95% | 284.07% | 1948.7% | 105.5% | -86.02% | -137.78% | -26.55% | 373.88% | - |
| Net Income | 1.32T | 1.19T | 955.03B | 778.96B | 603.87B | 652.16B | 618.72B | 116.26B | 799.95B | 784.19B | 1.01T | 990.63B | 985.37B | 717.83B | 656.39B | 635.42B | 377.76B | -1.06T | 486.06B | 974.9B | 980.14B | 627.38B | 406.98B | -2.38T |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 0 | 205.92B | 178.19B | 166.94B | 165.64B | 166.97B | 156.73B | 172.28B | 177.81B | 169.08B | 160.78B | 160.64B | 156.77B | 157.55B | 165.72B | 165.84B | 156.4B | 146.19B | 160.41B | 132.99B | 119.42B | 129.57B | 139.86B | 144.18B |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50.7B | -101.94B | -157.23B | 60.01B | -107.43B | 123.13B | 181.99B | 90.38B | -43.83B | -40.94B | 174.86B | -377.31B | 711.12B | 62.52T | 112.87B | -444.44B | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 1.83T | -890.34B | -2.34T | 398.39B | -795.46B | -613.5B | 513.61B | 1.38B | -784.02B | -1.91T | -960.65B | -1.21T | -1.75T | -144.59B | 38.97B | -1.41T | -539.76B | 191.17B | -2.67T | -1.11T | -1.68T | 3.66T | 5.47T | 36.83B |
| Working Capital Changes | -2.56T | -4.33T | 3.1T | 7.52T | 4.94T | 16.36T | 714.77B | -2.77T | 2.71T | 5.25T | 3T | 6.62T | -1.71T | 5.24T | -2.61T | 5.22T | 12.04T | 2.49T | 215.04B | -3.92T | -1.63T | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -15.21T | 3.79T | 1.98T | 6.61T | -1.86T | -9.76T | -5.81T | 5.49T | -2.32T | 5.8T | 3.69T | 2.62T | 10.61T | -749.69B | -1.84T | -1.67T | -14.15T | -3.27T | -1.12T | 3.22T | -99.26B | -3.79T | -7.4T | -206.34B |
| Purchase of Investments | -65.11T | -60.07T | -78.05T | -80.98T | -102.51T | -97.43T | -72.55T | -52.47T | -61.13T | -46.2T | -43.04T | -81.06T | -72.36T | -110.72T | -87.5T | -85.33T | -70.73T | -65.23T | -83.96T | -59.11T | -66.56T | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sale/Maturity of Investments | 55.12T | 64.17T | 80.38T | 87.76T | 100.77T | 88.04T | 66.97T | 58.11T | 59.03T | 52.38T | 47.06T | 84.08T | 83.23T | 110.1T | 84.74T | 83.86T | 56.82T | 66.13T | 83.16T | 62.46T | 66.45T | 65.83T | 64.19T | 59.26T |
| Net Investment Activity | -9.98T | 4.1T | 2.33T | 6.78T | -1.74T | -9.39T | -5.58T | 5.63T | -2.09T | 6.18T | 4.02T | 3.02T | 10.87T | -614.53B | -2.76T | -1.47T | -13.91T | 902.01B | -798.39B | 3.36T | -108.7B | 65.83T | 64.19T | 59.26T |
| Acquisitions | -45.39B | 2.97B | -31.22B | -3.53B | 18.24B | 1.8B | 1.07B | 219M | 1.34B | 301M | -24.43B | -185.87B | -36.58B | 1.48B | 1.09T | 278M | 406M | 0 | -135.79B | -800M | -25M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Investing | -4.84T | -210.16B | -250.16B | 9.81B | 481M | -264.49B | 9.5B | 7.81B | 16.39B | 8.63B | 12.91B | 187.45B | 5.17B | 8.06B | 1M | 372M | 15.45B | -3.95T | 28.67B | 49.05B | 67.72B | -69.54T | -71.5T | -59.38T |
| Cash from Financing | 1.85T | -299.03B | -230.99B | -611.14B | -522.06B | 40.82B | -281.85B | -18.64B | 149.96B | -24.54B | -521.02B | -903.4B | -305.74B | -283.87B | 2.97T | 155.05B | 231.8B | 446.51B | -85.09B | -417.28B | -446.67B | -557.73B | -600.8B | -394.02B |
| Dividends Paid | -390.94B | -304.43B | -234.79B | -209.46B | -196.78B | -190.5B | -190.39B | -190.41B | -190.38B | -190.03B | -195.28B | -176.19B | -152.16B | -152.51B | -215.9B | -133.93B | -130.3B | -133.39B | -101.11B | -79.79B | -75.72B | -122.19B | -75.64B | -91.41B |
| Share Repurchases | -428.71B | -102.92B | -3.38B | -2.31B | -1.93B | -7.26B | -33.64B | -2.12B | -1.61B | -3.13B | -13M | -12M | -37.01B | -7M | -2.56B | -3M | -5M | -150.36B | -150.46B | -604.33B | -944.32B | -500.48B | -166M | -263M |
| Stock Issued | 4.07B | 2.86B | 2.77B | 1.61B | 873M | 894M | 0 | 954M | 3M | 0 | 6M | 8M | 10M | 1.07B | 1.97B | 757.79B | 533.8B | 179M | 99M | 83M | 530.39B | 60M | 208M | 0 |
| Net Stock Activity | -424.64B | -100.06B | -616M | -699M | -1.05B | -6.37B | -33.64B | -1.17B | -1.61B | -3.13B | -7M | -4M | -37B | 1.07B | -594M | 757.79B | 533.79B | -150.18B | -150.37B | -604.25B | -413.93B | -500.42B | 42M | -263M |
| Debt Issuance (Net) | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | -1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | -1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | -1000K | 1000K | -1000K | -1000K | -1000K | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 1.22T | -2.05B | -4.28B | -48.26B | -6.76B | -2.32B | -345.02B | -296.1B | -25.45B | -497.07B | -503.64B | -312.5B | -87.76B | 7.4T | 2.09T | -4.68T | -241.57B | 1.91T | 3.98T | 354.83B | 91.38B | 27.09B | -55.39B | -302.35B |
| Net Change in Cash | 0 | -442.45B | 5.34T | 15.69T | 3.15T | 7.12T | -4.39T | -2.08T | 810.67B | 10.43T | 7.25T | 8.41T | 8.08T | 4.86T | -667.9B | 4.5T | -369.89B | 647.07B | -1.03T | -298.9B | -2.21T | 72.4B | -1.52T | -2.8T |
| Exchange Rate Effect | 12.77T | -115.72B | 1.7T | 827.61B | 620.26B | 227.49B | -202.78B | -32.66B | 10.2B | -27.64B | -22.72B | 37.56B | 69.19B | 39.34B | -1.42B | -35.43B | 2.34B | -30.48B | -160M | 2.1B | 928M | 220M | -381M | 72M |
| Cash at Beginning | 0 | 71.17T | 65.83T | 50.14T | 46.98T | 39.86T | 44.25T | 46.33T | 45.52T | 35.09T | 27.84T | 19.43T | 11.35T | 6.48T | 1.88T | 4.68T | 5.05T | 2.09T | 3.09T | 3.39T | 5.6T | 5.53T | 7.05T | 9.85T |
| Cash at End | 0 | 70.72T | 71.17T | 65.83T | 50.14T | 46.98T | 39.86T | 44.25T | 46.33T | 45.52T | 35.09T | 27.84T | 19.43T | 11.35T | 1.22T | 9.18T | 4.68T | 2.73T | 2.06T | 3.09T | 3.39T | 5.6T | 5.53T | 7.05T |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 497.42B | 1.32T | 1.27T | 818.59B | 582.95B | 435.58B | 419.07B | 408.8B | 447.77B | 427.1B | 462.91B | 518.94B | 1.22T | 1.91T | 1.47T | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Income Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 217B | 97.63B | 175.62B | 172.89B | 246.8B | 269.36B | 172.02B | 122.62B | 92.55B | 40.21B | 25.28B | 54.88B | 35.7B | 47.43B | 51.25B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Free Cash Flow | 487.72B | -4.17T | 1.63T | 8.68T | 4.78T | 16.4T | 1.67T | -2.79T | 2.73T | 4.3T | 3.78T | 6.25T | -2.52T | 5.71T | -1.96T | 5.85T | 13.18T | 3.28T | -42.48B | -3.29T | -1.73T | 4.35T | 5.92T | -2.29T |
| FCF Growth % | 111.71% | -355.89% | -81.25% | 81.75% | -70.86% | 884.78% | 159.67% | -202.32% | -36.56% | 13.73% | -39.53% | 348.29% | -144.06% | 390.94% | -133.54% | -55.57% | 302.22% | 7812.33% | 98.71% | -90.3% | -139.74% | -26.57% | 358.42% | - |
Interest rate policy sensitivity
As reported in 2026Q4 financial filings, Mizuho executed a massive turnover in its investment securities portfolio, purchasing 65.1 trillion yen while simultaneously selling 55.1 trillion yen, suggesting a tactical repositioning of its fixed-income assets to capture yield in a shifting Japanese interest rate environment.
The high volume of purchases and sales indicates that the bank is actively managing duration and credit risk within its Global Markets segment. Investors should monitor whether this high turnover reflects a permanent shift toward a more dynamic trading strategy or a temporary adjustment to mitigate unrealized losses.
Based on 2026Q4 data, Mizuho returned a combined 819.6 billion yen to shareholders through dividends and buybacks, a significant capital allocation event that underscores management's commitment to enhancing shareholder value despite the ongoing costs associated with the bank's long-term digital infrastructure transformation.
The scale of these returns relative to net income suggests a high payout ratio that warrants further investigation into the sustainability of such distributions. Analysts should consider whether this level of capital return is consistent with maintaining the bank's robust Tier 1 capital buffer over the long term.
According to recent SEC filings, Mizuho reported zero provision expense in 2026Q4, marking a sharp reversal from the 84.7 billion yen charge recorded in 2026Q3, which may indicate a more optimistic internal outlook on the credit quality of its industrial and SME loan portfolios.
The absence of provisioning in the most recent quarter suggests that the bank may have reached a point of stabilization in its credit risk assessment. However, given the cyclical nature of the bank's industrial exposure, this trend requires careful monitoring to ensure it reflects actual asset quality improvements.
As indicated by the 2026Q4 cash flow data, Mizuho generated 232.9 billion yen in net income, providing the necessary liquidity to support both its aggressive capital return programs and its ongoing investment in the MINORI core banking system, despite the inherent volatility of its global corporate segment.
The bank's ability to fund significant shareholder returns while maintaining operational stability suggests a resilient earnings engine. Investors should continue to evaluate whether the current pace of capital generation is sufficient to support future growth initiatives without compromising the bank's regulatory capital adequacy requirements.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying MFG stock.
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (MFG) generated $590.24B in net cash from operating activities in 2026. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (MFG) generated $487.72B in free cash flow in 2026. Free cash flow is the cash left over after capital expenditures, which can be used to pay dividends, repurchase shares, or pay down debt.
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (MFG) spent $338.19B on capital expenditures in 2026. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2026, Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (MFG) returned $390.94B to shareholders via cash dividends and spent $428.71B on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.