MANILA - BDO Nomura Securities, the joint venture of BDO Unibank Inc. and Nomura Holdings Inc., launched on Monday an online trading platform for stocks listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange.

The online service provides investors in-depth market research, quick execution time, and competitive rates.

Signing up for the platform is made easier for Filipinos with existing BDO accounts because they will no longer be required to go through the usual "know your customer" procedures.

BDO Nomura president Koichi Katakawa said once regulatory roadblocks are hurdled, BDO Nomura's online trading platform maybe used by Filipino retail investors to trade international securities.

“Nomura is excited to work with BDO, the leading commercial bank in the Philippines, to create a strong platform to serve a fast-growing market and bring new investment opportunities to domestic retail investors,” Katakawa said.

BDO Nomura said the company plans to be very aggressive in growing its base of users for the online trading platform.

It will combine the research capabilities of the two parties, with Nomura offering its international expertise and BDO offering its expertise on local companies.

BDO owns 51 percent of BDO Nomura while Nomura owns the remaining 49 percent.