TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s KDDI Corp (9433.T) is considering investing in Kabu.com Securities Co Ltd (8703.T), two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday, in what could be the telco’s latest move to expand in finance.

The Nikkei business daily first reported the deal, saying the investment could total up to 100 billion yen ($913 million) and give KDDI a minority stake in the online brokerage, a unit of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (MUFG) (8306.T).

One of the sources told Reuters the stake would be less than 50 percent. The Tokyo Stock Exchange suspended trading in Kabu.com stock, valued at 127.57 billion yen at Wednesday’s close, before the market opened.

The Nikkei said the deal would be finalised as soon as February and result in Kabu.com’s likely delisting.

Representatives of KDDI and MUFG told Reuters they had not made an announcement and nothing had been decided.

Faced with a mature market, Japan’s big three telcos are looking for alternative revenue streams, with KDDI last year acquiring KidZania indoor theme park operator KCJ Group and taking a stake in price comparison site Kakaku.com Inc (2371.T).

KDDI is bolstering its range of financial services, partnering Daiwa Securities Group Inc (8601.T) to provide asset management via smartphones. It is also in talks to raise its stake in Jibun Bank, a joint venture with MUFG’s banking unit, the Nikkei also said on Thursday.

In looking to financial services to feed to large user bases, KDDI is joined by rival SoftBank Corp (9434.T), messenger app operator Line Corp (3938.T), and e-commerce company Rakuten Inc (4755.T) – which will become Japan’s fourth carrier later this year.

Rakuten’s entry has been welcomed by the government, which has called on carriers to slash prices to help stimulate consumer spending in other areas.

Shares of KDDI – Japan’s second-largest telco by subscribers after NTT Docomo Inc (9437.T) – were down 0.9 percent in early trade compared with a flat benchmark Nikkei share price index .N225. MUFG’s shares were up 1.1 percent.

($1 = 109.5400 yen)

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