Nomura Holdings to brief media on information leak, CEO to attend

Nomura says information was handled improperly

Financial regulator plans to order business improvement-sources

Adds quote from company, details from sources

TOKYO, May 24 (Reuters) - Japan's Nomura Holdings 8604.Tsaid it will hold a news conference on Friday about a recent information leak, adding that Chief Executive Koji Nagai would attend.

Japan's largest brokerage confirmed late on Thursday that information related to listing and delisting criteria now under review by the Tokyo Stock Exchange had been "handled improperly".

"We take this matter very seriously," Nomura said. It said it had conducted an internal investigation and would publish the findings and details of a remediation action plan shortly.

Two sources told Reuters that a Nomura employee leaked information about the exchange's criteria review to investors. Japan's Financial Services Agency is planning to slap the company with a business improvement order, the sources said.

Separately, the Nikkei newspaper said that CEO Nagai would take a salary cut in response to the incident.

(Reporting by Taro Fuse and Takashi Umekawa; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Anshuman Daga)

((david.dolan@tr.com; +81 3 6441 1526; Reuters Messaging: david.dolan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

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