Nomura, which is expanding in Asia, Europe and the United States after buying part of Lehman Brothers in 2008, posted a net profit of 11.9 billion yen ($145 million) for the three months ended on March 31, compared with a profit of 18.4 billion in the same period a year earlier.

In the previous quarter, ended Dec. 31, the brokerage had a net profit of 13.4 billion yen.

The result was slightly better than a consensus forecast for a 10.6 billion yen profit from three analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S after Japan's earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

For the current business year to March 2012, the average net income prediction of six analysts is 75.4 billion yen. Nomura does not release its own outlook.

Its nearest rival, Daiwa Securities Group, on Tuesday posted a bigger-than-expected fourth-quarter loss in part because it had to put money aside to cover valuation losses on its holdings in real estate, insurers and other assets following Japan's March earthquake and tsunami.