Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank has signed up Equilend, a New York-based provider of global securities finance trading and post trade services.

The firm offers automated trading tools which enable clients to scale their businesses on a global basis in all securities finance markets.

SuMi Trust’s senior manager, Nobuyoshi Fuji, said in a statement that the arrangement will create greater efficiencies, the benefits of which the asset manager will share with its customers, and will improve the liquidity of the Japanese equity market.

SuMi Trust, which has around $770 billion of assets under management, joins others like Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Nomura and ABN Amro as Equilend clients. Equilend said several other domestic Japanese participants are expected to join in the near future.

Equilend has been growing its coverage in Asia, and has increased volumes by 15 per cent year on year in Japan.