Nomura Holdings Inc. and SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. accelerated hiring of university graduates this year as the stock market rally brightens prospects for securities firms.

Nomura recruited 600 new graduates for its main brokerage arm, a 20 percent increase from a year earlier, said spokesman Kenji Yamashita.

SMBC Nikko, a unit of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc., also hired about 600, up 16 percent, said spokesman Kouichi Shibata.