Telco/Internet specialist

Kirk Boodry

Redex Research

Equity Bottom-Up

<p>KDDI has announced consumer 5G plans including additional content alliances with Amazon and DAZN supported by unlimited data use. There is evidence of industry pricing pressure as introductory offers for unlimited data packs that include streaming video are priced under ¥4,000/month whilst student discount offers are less than ¥2,500. This is a partial answer to NTT DoCoMo’s regulatory-driven price cuts (20 GB for ¥2,980/month) although it has yet to unveil pricing for a 20GB plan at the Au main brand. Rakuten is under the most pressure to address pricing now so KDDI (and Softbank) may wait for that announcement before making their own.   </p>

KDDI has announced consumer 5G plans including additional content alliances with Amazon and DAZN supported by unlimited data use. There is evidence of industry pricing pressure as introductory offers for unlimited data packs that include streaming video are priced under ¥4,000/month whilst student discount offers are less than ¥2,500. This is a partial answer to NTT DoCoMo’s regulatory-driven price cuts (20 GB for ¥2,980/month) although it has yet to unveil pricing for a 20GB plan at the Au main brand. Rakuten is under the most pressure to address pricing now so KDDI (and Softbank) may wait for that announcement before making their own.   

KDDI Corp - 5G Consumer Service Plans Indirectly Affected by DoCoMo Price Reduction

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

Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Supun Walpola

Equity Analyst

<p>Japan’s #2 e-commerce company, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rakuten-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31:1" rel="noopener">Rakuten Inc (4755 JP)</a>, is the latest challenger for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ntt-docomo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1089:1" rel="noopener">NTT Docomo Inc (9437 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kddi-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:639:1" rel="noopener">KDDI Corp (9433 JP)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/softbank-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27445:1" rel="noopener">Softbank Corp (9434 JP)</a> in the Japanese MNO (mobile network operator) space. Rakuten has been offering MNO services through the networks of other operators for some time, but in April 2020, the company launched its own mobile network. Since the launch, Rakuten has sought to an aggressive pricing strategy backed by extensive network virtualisation.</p><p>In this note, we take a deep dive into Rakuten’s Mobile business.</p>

Japan’s #2 e-commerce company, Rakuten Inc (4755 JP), is the latest challenger for NTT Docomo Inc (9437 JP), KDDI Corp (9433 JP), and Softbank Corp (9434 JP) in the Japanese MNO (mobile network operator) space. Rakuten has been offering MNO services through the networks of other operators for some time, but in April 2020, the company launched its own mobile network. Since the launch, Rakuten has sought to an aggressive pricing strategy backed by extensive network virtualisation.In this note, we take a deep dive into Rakuten’s Mobile business.

Rakuten Mobile: Affordability Overshadowed by Poor Coverage

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Quantitative Analysis

<p>Long-time Japan strategist Jonathan Allum, most recently of SMBC Nikko, put a guest post titled <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a97cf336-518d-45dd-8092-ec0363c18725" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Takeaways from 30 years of Covering the Japanese Market</em></a> in the Financial Times on 26 November (Thanksgiving) which is well worth a read.</p><p>He points out that foreign investors in 2020 are likely going to be net dis-investors in Japan for the fourth year in five, fifth year in six, and increasing the net selldown which has occurred since the monster year in 2013. </p><section class="figure"><section class="figure"><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/174/956/original/Screenshot%202020-11-29%20at%203.07.23%20PM.png?1606633655" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="174956"></figure></section><p>This data is compiled from the weekly data which shows each investor category. On a net basis across all investor categories, it will be flat because while it shows buybacks on market, crediting the "Business Corporations" category, it does not show the data of investors selling into Tender Offers or the data of investors buying from IPOs.</p></section><p>Of course, the data is not that clean because investing doesn't always happen according to calendar year decisions. </p>
<section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/174/969/original/Screenshot%202020-11-29%20at%203.40.57%20PM.png?1606635676" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="174969"></figure></section><p>It just so happens that the last two really big selloffs in dollar terms (both exceeding ¥6trln on a rolling 52wk basis) did not happen to see start and end points coincide with those of the Gregorian calendar.</p>
<p>There has been an interesting confluence of "lack of participation in the market" this year. After lifting ETF buys in March 2020, the BOJ has slowed down its ETF buying considerably in the past six months (the current 6-month total is near the lower end of the range seen in the past four years), buybacks are down this year as companies slowed their activity in the face of covid-19-induced uncertainty, and foreigners are net sellers. </p>
<p>Of course Japanese insurers are on the verge of extending what will be a 12-year streak of net sells to a 13th year, and it looks like Japanese banks will be extending their net selling to a 14th year in a row. Trust Banks will be net buyers for the sixth year in seven this year, but for at least the fourth year in a row it will be less than the net buying of ETFs by the BOJ so ex-BOJ trust banks will have been net sellers for several years. </p>
<p>Business corporations are up ¥1.335trln year-to-date through the 20th of November, and will almost certainly extend their streak to ten years on the buy side. The interesting net flow this year is the "Proprietary" flow at brokers. This is now positive for ten years in a row, and there are particular reasons for this, as discussed below.</p>
<p>Because of the noise around recent articles about the BOJ and foreign activity, I decided to once again dust off the long-term analytics on Japan investor class flows, and present them here. Because flows net off to close to zero (i.e. there are a certain number of shares, and if some investor class is a net seller, other investor classes must be net buyer(s)), deriving a model for behavior is useful.  Long ago, in roles in fixed income and equity derivatives strategy, I built models of net foreign buying, and they uniformly showed that foreign investors chase/push/drive performance. My final model is a multi-input model which provides a simple combination of two factors they chase.</p>
<p>This insight discusses those behavior models, investor class flow dynamics, cycles, and trends and pressures near-term.</p>
<p>The combination of the investor class flows, and the model which drives net foreign activity, is interesting. I think it helps because the top-down aspect matters for understanding allocation flow.</p>
<p>Read on for the nitty gritty (as usual, we start with Conclusions First).</p></section>

Long-time Japan strategist Jonathan Allum, most recently of SMBC Nikko, put a guest post titled Takeaways from 30 years of Covering the Japanese Market in the Financial Times on 26 November (Thanksgiving) which is well worth a read.He points out that foreign investors in 2020 are likely going to be net dis-investors in Japan for the fourth year in five, fifth year in six, and increasing the net selldown which has occurred since the monster year in 2013. This data is compiled from the weekly data which shows each investor category. On a net basis across all investor categories, it will be flat because while it shows buybacks on market, crediting the "Business Corporations" category, it does not show the data of investors selling into Tender Offers or the data of investors buying from IPOs.Of course, the data is not that clean because investing doesn't always happen according to calendar year decisions. 
It just so happens that the last two really big selloffs in dollar terms (both exceeding ¥6trln on a rolling 52wk basis) did not happen to see start and end points coincide with those of the Gregorian calendar.
There has been an interesting confluence of "lack of participation in the market" this year. After lifting ETF buys in March 2020, the BOJ has slowed down its ETF buying considerably in the past six months (the current 6-month total is near the lower end of the range seen in the past four years), buybacks are down this year as companies slowed their activity in the face of covid-19-induced uncertainty, and foreigners are net sellers. 
Of course Japanese insurers are on the verge of extending what will be a 12-year streak of net sells to a 13th year, and it looks like Japanese banks will be extending their net selling to a 14th year in a row. Trust Banks will be net buyers for the sixth year in seven this year, but for at least the fourth year in a row it will be less than the net buying of ETFs by the BOJ so ex-BOJ trust banks will have been net sellers for several years. 
Business corporations are up ¥1.335trln year-to-date through the 20th of November, and will almost certainly extend their streak to ten years on the buy side. The interesting net flow this year is the "Proprietary" flow at brokers. This is now positive for ten years in a row, and there are particular reasons for this, as discussed below.
Because of the noise around recent articles about the BOJ and foreign activity, I decided to once again dust off the long-term analytics on Japan investor class flows, and present them here. Because flows net off to close to zero (i.e. there are a certain number of shares, and if some investor class is a net seller, other investor classes must be net buyer(s)), deriving a model for behavior is useful.  Long ago, in roles in fixed income and equity derivatives strategy, I built models of net foreign buying, and they uniformly showed that foreign investors chase/push/drive performance. My final model is a multi-input model which provides a simple combination of two factors they chase.
This insight discusses those behavior models, investor class flow dynamics, cycles, and trends and pressures near-term.
The combination of the investor class flows, and the model which drives net foreign activity, is interesting. I think it helps because the top-down aspect matters for understanding allocation flow.
Read on for the nitty gritty (as usual, we start with Conclusions First).

JAPAN FLOW:  Foreign Investor Flows Still Matter (Redux, Reduxed) - Playing Catchup

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.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

NTT Docomo Inc (9437 JP)

KDDI Corp - 5G Consumer Service Plans Indirectly Affected by DoCoMo Price Reduction

KDDI introduced consumer 5G plans that include alliances with Amazon (Prime) and DAZN. The impact of DoCoMo price reductions are evident as...

Kirk Boodry

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

Rakuten Mobile: Affordability Overshadowed by Poor Coverage

In this note, we take a deep dive into Rakuten’s Mobile business, which is the latest challenger for NTT, KDDI, and Softbank in the Japanese MNO...

Supun Walpola

JAPAN FLOW: Foreign Investor Flows Still Matter (Redux, Reduxed) - Playing Catchup

The Japanese market has unusual flow cyclicality. Foreigners take price. They have been net sellers. They buy when USD-denom TOPIX outperforms....

Travis Lundy

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)