SMBC Nikko said on Thursday it had been hired to handle the sale together with Mizuho Bank.

No other details were given.

The company posted a profit of JPY 4.3bn ($38.5m) for the period from 1 April to 30 September, up by 7.7%.

It was boosted by new orders and a growth in revenue from JPY 276.7bn in 2013 to JPY 352.4bn.