Kidder Peabody Group and Japan’s largest securities...

Kidder Peabody Group and Japan’s largest securities firm denied they have been holding talks about a joint venture, but analysts said that such a combination would make sense. Unnamed sources quoted in the Wall Street Journal said Kidder and Nomura Securities began “pretty serious” discussions about six weeks ago. The paper also said Kidder executives have traveled to Japan for talks and that a team of Nomura managers from Tokyo visited New York earlier this week.