Korea / Special Situations, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Situations

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

Clepsydra Capital

Investigate special situations, pairs, and index rebalancing trades in Korea.

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>June rebalance drops mid-May, goes live post-KOSPI 200 expiry. Back to 100 names—net outflow setup with more deletes than adds. ETFs rebalance into June 12 close.</li>
<li>KRX confirmed 10 special entries for June; results likely out in May with Value-Up rebalance. 12 protected names stay. Stocks over 10% weight, like Samsung and SK Hynix, remain.</li>
<li>Value-Up disclosure isn’t mandatory yet—rule starts June 2026. But compliant firms get a screening boost. Around 76 spots remain, filled via quant screen after excluding 24 protected names.</li>
</ul>


June rebalance drops mid-May, goes live post-KOSPI 200 expiry. Back to 100 names—net outflow setup with more deletes than adds. ETFs rebalance into June 12 close.
KRX confirmed 10 special entries for June; results likely out in May with Value-Up rebalance. 12 protected names stay. Stocks over 10% weight, like Samsung and SK Hynix, remain.
Value-Up disclosure isn’t mandatory yet—rule starts June 2026. But compliant firms get a screening boost. Around 76 spots remain, filled via quant screen after excluding 24 protected names.


June Value-Up Rebalance: Hype Fading, But Key Flags Remain

Chief Executive Officer, Emmer Capital Partners Limited

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Chief Executive Officer

Emmer Capital Partners Limited

Emmer Capital Partners is an Asia Pacific focused financial advisory firm engaging in strategic financial asset allocation advice, bespoke thematic research and advising early-stage companies and connecting them to investors. Emmer Capital provides macro-economic and multi-asset investment strategy inputs to institutions, family offices, private wealth managers, private equity, and corporate boards directly and through independent research platforms. Emmer Capital also advises a wide range of startup companies on fund raising and business strategy. Emmer Capital's active engagement with the print and electronic media reaches a broad spectrum of investors across the globe.

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>US recession chatter is back. During past recessions, US declined less than Asia. Within Asia, select consumer staples, telecommunication, energy outperformed. Surprisingly, so did Korea and Taiwan tech, HK industrials.</li>
<li>Asian equity drawdown was driven more by valuation derating than by earnings decline. During every US recession, all Asian currencies depreciated and FIIs sold almost all Asian markets. </li>
<li>In the event of a US recession, we think Asia would outperform US. We like attractively valued domestic-focused sectors and stocks, unless a globally linked stock is egregiously undervalued.</li>
</ul>


US recession chatter is back. During past recessions, US declined less than Asia. Within Asia, select consumer staples, telecommunication, energy outperformed. Surprisingly, so did Korea and Taiwan tech, HK industrials.
Asian equity drawdown was driven more by valuation derating than by earnings decline. During every US recession, all Asian currencies depreciated and FIIs sold almost all Asian markets. 
In the event of a US recession, we think Asia would outperform US. We like attractively valued domestic-focused sectors and stocks, unless a globally linked stock is egregiously undervalued.


Asian Equities: What if There's a US Recession?

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Valuations across Asia are mean reverting - expensive markets derating and the cheap ones rerating. We think this is likely to continue somewhat longer.</li>
<li>We think HK/China could rerate more; India and Taiwan could derate slightly further. India looks interesting. Valuation range has structurally shifted upwards. But another 5-10% relative valuation correction is warranted.</li>
<li>Principal stock choices in HK/China, Korea and India pertain to themes of domestic consumption, AI resilience and unloved sectors. Some of the companies have mitigating strategies for the tariff war.</li>
</ul>


Valuations across Asia are mean reverting - expensive markets derating and the cheap ones rerating. We think this is likely to continue somewhat longer.
We think HK/China could rerate more; India and Taiwan could derate slightly further. India looks interesting. Valuation range has structurally shifted upwards. But another 5-10% relative valuation correction is warranted.
Principal stock choices in HK/China, Korea and India pertain to themes of domestic consumption, AI resilience and unloved sectors. Some of the companies have mitigating strategies for the tariff war.


Asian Equities: Valuation Mean Reversion - The Winners and Losers

<ul>
<li>As the trade war unfolds, more market volatility seems likely. In the 2018 episode China and Korea drove Asian drawdown. But today, China exports far less to America than earlier.</li>
<li>The 2025 trade war is more expansive, with larger tariffs being imposed. In 2018, the defensives and non-tradables outperformed. Similar sectors, but not the same markets could do well now.</li>
<li>Our Capital Preservation Basket presents eight cheap stocks with domestic revenue exposure and earnings estimate increases over past six months. They are from HK/China (5), Philippines (2) and Korea (1).</li>
</ul>


As the trade war unfolds, more market volatility seems likely. In the 2018 episode China and Korea drove Asian drawdown. But today, China exports far less to America than earlier.
The 2025 trade war is more expansive, with larger tariffs being imposed. In 2018, the defensives and non-tradables outperformed. Similar sectors, but not the same markets could do well now.
Our Capital Preservation Basket presents eight cheap stocks with domestic revenue exposure and earnings estimate increases over past six months. They are from HK/China (5), Philippines (2) and Korea (1).


Asian Equities: Preserving Capital in 2025 – Parallels and Contrasts from 2018

<ul>
<li>In today's uncertain scenario, cash is king. Moreover, the high US treasury yields, which had rendered a dividend yield strategy relatively unattractive, are beginning to decline again.</li>
<li>In addition to considering today's dividend yields, we think it's also imperative to take into account companies' future earnings potential to assess future dividend stability.</li>
<li>Screening companies with at least 6% forward dividend yield and 5% forecast EPS CAGR over next 2 years, we arrive at our basket of 23 dividend yielders, 13 from HK/China.</li>
</ul>


In today's uncertain scenario, cash is king. Moreover, the high US treasury yields, which had rendered a dividend yield strategy relatively unattractive, are beginning to decline again.
In addition to considering today's dividend yields, we think it's also imperative to take into account companies' future earnings potential to assess future dividend stability.
Screening companies with at least 6% forward dividend yield and 5% forecast EPS CAGR over next 2 years, we arrive at our basket of 23 dividend yielders, 13 from HK/China.


Asian Equities: Asia's Robust Dividend Yielders

South Korea

Hana Financial Group Inc., in accordance with Financial Holding Companies Act, was established on December 1, 2005, through stock transfer with the former shareholders of its subsidiaries in order to provide management services and financing to associated companies.

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Hana Financial (086790 KS)

June Value-Up Rebalance: Hype Fading, But Key Flags Remain

This post gives a quick pulse check on the June Value-up Index rebalance—hype’s cooling off, but there are still a few key things to flag.

Sanghyun Park

Asian Equities: What if There's a US Recession?

US recession chatter is back. US declined less than Asia in past recessions. This time it could be different. Valn derating, not EPS cuts, drove...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Asian Equities: Valuation Mean Reversion - The Winners and Losers

Asian valn mean reversion i.e. expensive markets derating & cheap ones rerating, could sustain. HK/China & KR may rerate more. India looks...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Asian Equities: Preserving Capital in 2025 – Parallels and Contrasts from 2018

Volatility could rise as trade war escalates. But China exports much less to US now, Korea & Taiwan much more. Our Capital Preservation Basket has...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Asian Equities: Asia's Robust Dividend Yielders

In uncertain times, firms distributing cash as dividends are naturally investors' darlings. Screening large caps on min 6% div yield and future...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

June Value-Up Rebalance: Hype Fading, But Key Flags Remain

This post gives a quick pulse check on the June Value-up Index rebalance—hype’s cooling off, but there are still a few key things to flag.

Sanghyun Park

Asian Equities: What if There's a US Recession?

​US recession chatter is back. US declined less than Asia in past recessions. This time it could be different. Valn derating, not EPS cuts, drove...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Asian Equities: Valuation Mean Reversion - The Winners and Losers

​Asian valn mean reversion i.e. expensive markets derating & cheap ones rerating, could sustain. HK/China & KR may rerate more. India looks...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Asian Equities: Preserving Capital in 2025 – Parallels and Contrasts from 2018

​Volatility could rise as trade war escalates. But China exports much less to US now, Korea & Taiwan much more. Our Capital Preservation Basket has...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Asian Equities: Asia's Robust Dividend Yielders

​In uncertain times, firms distributing cash as dividends are naturally investors' darlings. Screening large caps on min 6% div yield and future...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

US recession chatter is back. US declined less than Asia in past recessions. This time it could be different. Valn derating, not EPS cuts, drove...

Asian valn mean reversion i.e. expensive markets derating & cheap ones rerating, could sustain. HK/China & KR may rerate more. India looks...

Volatility could rise as trade war escalates. But China exports much less to US now, Korea & Taiwan much more. Our Capital Preservation Basket has...

In uncertain times, firms distributing cash as dividends are naturally investors' darlings. Screening large caps on min 6% div yield and future...