Telco/Internet specialist

Kirk Boodry

Redex Research

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<p style="text-align: justify;">A new era in the Japanese telecom sector has arrived. If the Abe era was defined by better corporate governance and improved returns to shareholders, with Prime Minister Suga the focus may be shifting to national industrial policy. Reports from the <a href="https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO66833950Q0A131C2MM8000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikkei</a> that DoCoMo will cut prices for high end plans by c. 50% are disruptive and deliver a political win for the current government just as NTT prepares to argue in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC, the regulator) for deeper integration of its mobile and ICT businesses. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Accelerated concerns from competitors in the wake of NTT’s acquisition of DoCoMo minorities makes a lot more sense now as the possibility that the MIC could decide cooperation with NTT to lower mobile prices is as effective as support for MVNOs and Rakuten. Winners include the government, NEC and (possibly) Apple whilst mobile operators get the short end of the stick. In particular, Rakuten looks fragile as its disruptive ¥2,980/month price point has been matched by Japan’s largest mobile operator less than a year after it launched service. </p>

A new era in the Japanese telecom sector has arrived. If the Abe era was defined by better corporate governance and improved returns to shareholders, with Prime Minister Suga the focus may be shifting to national industrial policy. Reports from the Nikkei that DoCoMo will cut prices for high end plans by c. 50% are disruptive and deliver a political win for the current government just as NTT prepares to argue in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC, the regulator) for deeper integration of its mobile and ICT businesses. Accelerated concerns from competitors in the wake of NTT’s acquisition of DoCoMo minorities makes a lot more sense now as the possibility that the MIC could decide cooperation with NTT to lower mobile prices is as effective as support for MVNOs and Rakuten. Winners include the government, NEC and (possibly) Apple whilst mobile operators get the short end of the stick. In particular, Rakuten looks fragile as its disruptive ¥2,980/month price point has been matched by Japan’s largest mobile operator less than a year after it launched service. 

Japan Telecom Sector: DoCoMo Move Is More than a Price Reduction

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist, LightStream Research

Campbell Gunn

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

<section class="figure"><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/175/629/original/2020-12-01_06-32-57.png?1606771992" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="175629"></figure></section><p><strong>FOUR QUADRANTS </strong>- By combining our two scoring methodologies - the Relative Price Score (RPS) and the Results &amp; Revision Score (RRS), we can assign companies into four quadrants:-</p></section><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>
<strong>CONTRARIAN BUYS </strong>- Low Results &amp; Revision and Relative Price Scores</li>
<li>
<strong>CONTRARIAN SELLS </strong>- High Results &amp; Revision and Relative Price Scores</li>
<li>
<strong>TURNAROUND BUYS </strong>- High Results &amp; Revision Scores &amp; low Relative Price Scores</li>
<li>
<strong>EX-GROWTH</strong><strong>SELLS</strong> - Low Results &amp; Revision Scores &amp; high Relative Price Scores</li>
</ul></div><div>
<p>Turnaround Buys are quite rare but tend to offer reasonable upside for relatively low risk. Examples from 2020 include <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lixil-group-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:454:1" rel="noopener">Lixil (5938 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nec-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17084:1" rel="noopener">NEC (6701 JP)</a>.</p>
<section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/175/110/original/2020-11-30_09-39-21.png?1606696981" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="175110"></figure></section><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/175/111/original/2020-11-30_09-43-17.png?1606697029" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="175111"></figure></section><p><strong><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/7b61jl02dh0pzno/2020-11-25_12-43-55.png?dl=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TURNAROUND BUYS</a> -</strong> In the<strong> DETAIL </strong>section below, we shall review the current 'crop' of Turnaround Buys. The last Insight in this mini-series will look at Ex-Growth Sells before concluding with one '2021 High Conviction' recommendation. The first two Insights in the Series can be found at - <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-four-quadrants-contrarian-buys" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:45688" rel="noopener">Contrarian Buys </a>and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-four-quadrants-contrarian-sells" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:45725" rel="noopener">Contrarian Sells</a>.  </p>
</div>

FOUR QUADRANTS - By combining our two scoring methodologies - the Relative Price Score (RPS) and the Results &amp; Revision Score (RRS), we can assign companies into four quadrants:-

CONTRARIAN BUYS - Low Results &amp; Revision and Relative Price Scores

CONTRARIAN SELLS - High Results &amp; Revision and Relative Price Scores

TURNAROUND BUYS - High Results &amp; Revision Scores &amp; low Relative Price Scores

EX-GROWTHSELLS - Low Results &amp; Revision Scores &amp; high Relative Price Scores

Turnaround Buys are quite rare but tend to offer reasonable upside for relatively low risk. Examples from 2020 include Lixil (5938 JP) and NEC (6701 JP).
TURNAROUND BUYS - In the DETAIL section below, we shall review the current 'crop' of Turnaround Buys. The last Insight in this mini-series will look at Ex-Growth Sells before concluding with one '2021 High Conviction' recommendation. The first two Insights in the Series can be found at - Contrarian Buys and Contrarian Sells.  


🇯🇵 JAPAN • Four Quadrants - Turnaround Buys

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC, the regulator) should announce policy changes by the end of the month that make it easier for users to switch mobile carriers. That probably leads to modestly higher customer churn although service bundles/loyalty plans mute the impact. It is also an implicit recognition that the lower pricing levels found at MVNOs and Rakuten are acceptable and that improving the ability to change carriers is what is important. As a result, greater clarity on regulator intensions and near-term price reductions led by Softbank should be enough to ease recent political/regulatory pressure. A proposal to move to eSIMs is of special benefit to Rakuten which developed its provisioning systems with technologies like that in mind.  </strong></p>

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC, the regulator) should announce policy changes by the end of the month that make it easier for users to switch mobile carriers. That probably leads to modestly higher customer churn although service bundles/loyalty plans mute the impact. It is also an implicit recognition that the lower pricing levels found at MVNOs and Rakuten are acceptable and that improving the ability to change carriers is what is important. As a result, greater clarity on regulator intensions and near-term price reductions led by Softbank should be enough to ease recent political/regulatory pressure. A proposal to move to eSIMs is of special benefit to Rakuten which developed its provisioning systems with technologies like that in mind.  

Japan Telecom Sector: Regulator Policy Changes Address Tactics Not Price

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Regulatory concerns in Japan have returned as the new Prime Minister has made mobile pricing a key talking point. And it now appears likely that Softbank will carve out a new 20-30GB data tier at ¥5,000/month to address that. We expect that DoCoMo and KDDI (to a lesser degree) will have to follow. NTT is the most exposed as DoCoMo was late to the game in moving up to offering extra-large data bundles and its Gigaho 30GB plan is priced at ¥7,150/month. On the surface, this move gives the Prime Minister a win and should ease regulatory pressure and whilst mobile revenue erosion will accelerate, tiered pricing should help manage the downside. The main issue heading into reporting season is how much of a return to customers this is and whether the political and regulatory pressure will ease. </strong></p>

Regulatory concerns in Japan have returned as the new Prime Minister has made mobile pricing a key talking point. And it now appears likely that Softbank will carve out a new 20-30GB data tier at ¥5,000/month to address that. We expect that DoCoMo and KDDI (to a lesser degree) will have to follow. NTT is the most exposed as DoCoMo was late to the game in moving up to offering extra-large data bundles and its Gigaho 30GB plan is priced at ¥7,150/month. On the surface, this move gives the Prime Minister a win and should ease regulatory pressure and whilst mobile revenue erosion will accelerate, tiered pricing should help manage the downside. The main issue heading into reporting season is how much of a return to customers this is and whether the political and regulatory pressure will ease. 

Japan Telecom Sector: Softbank Moves First on Pricing

Alpha-Centric ESG Research

Kyle Rudden

<p>Sometimes, the "ESG stuff" can really alter the outcome of an IPO. The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/saudi-aramco" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27317:1" rel="noopener">Saudi Aramco (ARAMCO AB)</a> debut was curbed by Environmental concerns. WeWork's failed IPO is a case study in founder-led Governance risk. Palantir quashed its "adjustable voting power for founders" after an uproar.</p>
<p>ESG impacts IPOs. But not Ant's IPO.</p>
<p>Ant's ESG profile is strong. There a few skeletons in the closet if you look hard enough, but they are bygone and irrelevant . Current ESG blemishes are minor. There isn't much dirt for ESG idealists to wallow in. If they are even looking at all; as a "China deal," ESG has a different relevance for Ant.</p>
<p>Ant's IPO is a momentous ESG event, but not in the traditional and obvious way.</p>
<p>This is not about ESG impacting Ant's IPO. This is about Ant's IPO impacting ESG.</p>
<p>Looking at Ant through a typical ESG lens will make one's head spin. But step back and look again, and it becomes clear that Ant is a strategically-integrated masterpiece at the vanguard of a critical crossroads – the intersection of Fintech, financial inclusion, green finance, and sustainability.</p>
<p>It is all a matter of perspective.</p>
<p>Seeing the forest for the trees.</p>

Sometimes, the "ESG stuff" can really alter the outcome of an IPO. The Saudi Aramco (ARAMCO AB) debut was curbed by Environmental concerns. WeWork's failed IPO is a case study in founder-led Governance risk. Palantir quashed its "adjustable voting power for founders" after an uproar.
ESG impacts IPOs. But not Ant's IPO.
Ant's ESG profile is strong. There a few skeletons in the closet if you look hard enough, but they are bygone and irrelevant . Current ESG blemishes are minor. There isn't much dirt for ESG idealists to wallow in. If they are even looking at all; as a "China deal," ESG has a different relevance for Ant.
Ant's IPO is a momentous ESG event, but not in the traditional and obvious way.
This is not about ESG impacting Ant's IPO. This is about Ant's IPO impacting ESG.
Looking at Ant through a typical ESG lens will make one's head spin. But step back and look again, and it becomes clear that Ant is a strategically-integrated masterpiece at the vanguard of a critical crossroads – the intersection of Fintech, financial inclusion, green finance, and sustainability.
It is all a matter of perspective.
Seeing the forest for the trees.

Ant Group Pre-IPO ESG Assessment: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Japan

NTT DOCOMO, INC. provides various types of telecommunication services including cellular phones, satellite mobile communication, and wireless LAN Network. The Company also sells cellular phones, and other equipment.

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NTT Docomo Inc (9437 JP)

Japan Telecom Sector: DoCoMo Move Is More than a Price Reduction

If the Abe era for telcos was defined by better corporate governance and improved returns to shareholders, with Prime Minister Suga the focus may...

Kirk Boodry

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Four Quadrants - Turnaround Buys

Turnaround Buys are quite rare but tend to offer reasonable upside for relatively low risk. Examples from 2020 include Lixil (5938 JP) and NEC...

Campbell Gunn

Japan Telecom Sector: Regulator Policy Changes Address Tactics Not Price

The regulatory is expected to announce policy updates that address how users change to cheaper priced options. Churn could rise but service bundles...

Kirk Boodry

Japan Telecom Sector: Softbank Moves First on Pricing

Softbank's response to regulatory pressure should be enough if sector follows suit. NTT is most exposed after announcing a premium bid for DoCoMo

Kirk Boodry

Ant Group Pre-IPO ESG Assessment: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

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Kyle Rudden

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