Head of Research, Krungthai XSpring

Waraporn Wiboonkanarak

Head of Research

A full service Thai brokerage

Krungthai XSpring

Krungthai XSpring is a full service broker. The company provides a wide range of investment services such as Securities Brokerage, Derivative Agent Business, Securities Borrowing and Lending, Securities Trading, Underwriting, Financial Advisory, Wealth Advisory, Private Fund Management and International Markets Securities Trading. 

In terms of credibility, Fitch Ratings has assigned Krunghtai XSpring a long-term rating of AA- and a national short-term rating of F1+ with stable outlook.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>KTX expects the SET Index to remain volatile in December 2025, as this period marks a key turning point for several major factors that could influence both global and Thai equities—particularly upcoming policy meetings by major central banks (the Fed, BoJ, ECB, and Thailand’s MPC).</li><li>KTX recommends ADVANC, KBANK, KKP, SCB, and WHAUP for the portfolio.</li><li>We expect the Thai stock market to remain volatile in December 2025, as this period represents a key turning point for several factors that could shape market direction through the rest of 2025 and into early 1Q26.</li></ul>

KTX expects the SET Index to remain volatile in December 2025, as this period marks a key turning point for several major factors that could influence both global and Thai equities—particularly upcoming policy meetings by major central banks (the Fed, BoJ, ECB, and Thailand’s MPC).KTX recommends ADVANC, KBANK, KKP, SCB, and WHAUP for the portfolio.We expect the Thai stock market to remain volatile in December 2025, as this period represents a key turning point for several factors that could shape market direction through the rest of 2025 and into early 1Q26.

Monthly Report: December 2025: Outlook: Volatility During A Turning Point

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Equity Capital Markets

SBI Shinsei Bank / Equity Capital Markets

SBI Shinsei Bank, Ltd. provides banking services including deposits, loans, and foreign exchange transaction, as well as investment trust service and issuance of long-term bonds.

<ul>
<li>The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sbi-shinsei-bank-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16897:1" rel="noopener">SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP)</a> IPO is due to be priced on 8 December and start trading on 17 December 2025.</li>
<li>I have been reluctant to write because of my general lack of excitement regarding the IPO and its after-market prospects. It is, as a friend says, "neither here nor there."</li>
<li>But as the bank was my High Conviction Long trade for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/2021-high-conviction-shinsei-bank" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/2022-high-conviction-shinsei-bank" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/2023-high-conviction-sbi-shinsei-bank-8303-jp-still-reading-between-the-lines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023</a> and I wrote about the events in the interim, I thought I should opine.</li>
</ul>


The SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO is due to be priced on 8 December and start trading on 17 December 2025.
I have been reluctant to write because of my general lack of excitement regarding the IPO and its after-market prospects. It is, as a friend says, "neither here nor there."
But as the bank was my High Conviction Long trade for 2021, 2022, and 2023 and I wrote about the events in the interim, I thought I should opine.


[Japan IPO] The SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO; Cosmetically Pretty, Otherwise Meh

Financials & FinTech research, Galliano’s Financials Research

Victor Galliano

Financials & FinTech research

Financials & FinTech, EM & Developed Markets

Galliano’s Financials Research

Galliano's Financials Research provides fundamental research in Emerging Markets financials, including FinTech, as well as financials in select Developed Markets.

The investment style applied is generally value oriented, although Growth At Reasonable Price (GARP) strategies can also be used where appropriate. 

Our investment research approach aim is often contrarian, looking to capitalise on overly sceptical or optimistic consensus views. In terms of valuation techniques, the focus is on PBV ratio to ROE, PE multiples and dividend yield, as well as the application of PEG ratios and, where appropriate, Sum of the Parts (SOTP) valuations.

Equity Bottom-Up

Iyogin Holdings, Inc. operates as a holding company. The Company provides operation and management of bank related subsidiary companies. Iyogin Holdings provides its services throughout Japan.

<ul>
<li>Our key themes for Japanese banks in 2026 are top line growth due to a hawkish BoJ and the potential for shareholder value creation through cross-holding disposals</li>
<li>In the big caps, we stick with Resona Holdings as our top pick for its strong gearing to rising interest rates and its relatively high equity cross-holdings to market value</li>
<li>Our top mid-caps picks are Iyogin Holdings and Hokuhoku, both of which are well positioned to benefit from higher interest rates and also have healthy cross-holdings relative to market value</li>
</ul>


Our key themes for Japanese banks in 2026 are top line growth due to a hawkish BoJ and the potential for shareholder value creation through cross-holding disposals
In the big caps, we stick with Resona Holdings as our top pick for its strong gearing to rising interest rates and its relatively high equity cross-holdings to market value
Our top mid-caps picks are Iyogin Holdings and Hokuhoku, both of which are well positioned to benefit from higher interest rates and also have healthy cross-holdings relative to market value


Japanese Banks – 2026 High Conviction Ideas

APAC IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Akshat Shah

APAC IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

NS Group, Inc. offers financial services. The Company provides rent debt guarantee, collection agency, and other services. NS Group conducts businesses throughout Japan.

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ns-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:46003:1" rel="noopener">NS Group (471A JP) </a>(NSG) is one of Japan’s leading rent guarantee service providers, offering payment guarantee and rent collection solutions to property owners and management companies.</li>
<li>NSG aims to raise around US$220m in its Japan IPO via an entirely secondary offering, marking Bain Capital’s full exit from the company.</li>
<li>In our previous note, we looked at the firm’s past performance and peer comparison. In this note, we talk about the pricing updates and IPO valuations.</li>
</ul>



NS Group (471A JP) (NSG) is one of Japan’s leading rent guarantee service providers, offering payment guarantee and rent collection solutions to property owners and management companies.
NSG aims to raise around US$220m in its Japan IPO via an entirely secondary offering, marking Bain Capital’s full exit from the company.
In our previous note, we looked at the firm’s past performance and peer comparison. In this note, we talk about the pricing updates and IPO valuations.


NS Group IPO - Deal Downsized; Pricing Looks Digestible Now

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sbi-shinsei-bank-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16897:1" rel="noopener">SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP)</a>, a Japanese financial institution, has set an IPO price range of JPY1,440 to JPY1,450 per share compared to the reference price of JPY1,440.</li>
<li>I discussed the relisting in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/sbi-shinsei-bank-8303-jp-ipo-the-investment-case" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:211376" rel="noopener">SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO: The Investment Case</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/sbi-shinsei-bank-8303-jp-ipo-valuation-insights" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:211514" rel="noopener">SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO: Valuation Insights</a>. </li>
<li>The relisting has attracted solid interest from several investors. The peers have modestly re-rated, and the IPO price range is attractive.</li>
</ul>



SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP), a Japanese financial institution, has set an IPO price range of JPY1,440 to JPY1,450 per share compared to the reference price of JPY1,440.
I discussed the relisting in SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO: The Investment Case and SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO: Valuation Insights. 
The relisting has attracted solid interest from several investors. The peers have modestly re-rated, and the IPO price range is attractive.


SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO: Price Range Is Attractive

Japan Banks
Mountains of Liquidity

Monthly Report: December 2025: Outlook: Volatility During A Turning Point

KTX expects the SET Index to remain volatile in December 2025, as this period marks a key turning point for several major factors that could...

Krungthai XSpring

[Japan IPO] The SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO; Cosmetically Pretty, Otherwise Meh

The SBI Shinsei Bank IPO at north of book comes only 2 years post-squeezeout at half of book. It was a big trade for SBI but they need to sell...

Travis Lundy

Japanese Banks – 2026 High Conviction Ideas

Japanese banks in 2026 should see top line growth from hawkish BoJ, shareholder value creation through cross-holding disposals; Resona top pick...

Victor Galliano

NS Group IPO - Deal Downsized; Pricing Looks Digestible Now

NS Group aims to raise around US$220m in its Japan IPO via an entirely secondary offering. In this note, we talk about the pricing updates and IPO...

Akshat Shah

SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO: Price Range Is Attractive

The relisting has attracted solid interest from several investors. The peers have modestly re-rated, and the IPO price range is attractive.

Arun George

Monthly Report: December 2025: Outlook: Volatility During A Turning Point

KTX expects the SET Index to remain volatile in December 2025, as this period marks a key turning point for several major factors that could...

Krungthai XSpring

[Japan IPO] The SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO; Cosmetically Pretty, Otherwise Meh

The SBI Shinsei Bank IPO at north of book comes only 2 years post-squeezeout at half of book. It was a big trade for SBI but they need to sell...

Travis Lundy

Japanese Banks – 2026 High Conviction Ideas

​Japanese banks in 2026 should see top line growth from hawkish BoJ, shareholder value creation through cross-holding disposals; Resona top pick...

Victor Galliano

NS Group IPO - Deal Downsized; Pricing Looks Digestible Now

NS Group aims to raise around US$220m in its Japan IPO via an entirely secondary offering. In this note, we talk about the pricing updates and IPO...

Akshat Shah

SBI Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) IPO: Price Range Is Attractive

The relisting has attracted solid interest from several investors. The peers have modestly re-rated, and the IPO price range is attractive.

Arun George

Japanese banks in 2026 should see top line growth from hawkish BoJ, shareholder value creation through cross-holding disposals; Resona top pick...