SBI Holdings denies Nikkei report of plans to apply for a bank holding company

TOKYO (Reuters) - SBI Holdings on Friday denied a Nikkei report that said it was planning to apply for a bank holding company by year-end, the company said in a statement.

The statement denies reports by Nikkei published Thursday saying SBI Holdings is planning to form a bank holding company by year-end at the earliest as it seeks a majority stake in Shinsei Bank.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; editing by Diane Craft)