Asia L/S Equity PM/Macro/Thematic Idea Generation

Rikki Malik

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>New LDP leader and Japanese PM favours interest rate normalisation</li>
<li>This supports our outlook for a strengthening JPY against the USD</li>
<li>The Japanese central bank may now face pressure to raise rates</li>
</ul>


New LDP leader and Japanese PM favours interest rate normalisation
This supports our outlook for a strengthening JPY against the USD
The Japanese central bank may now face pressure to raise rates


Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>The bank just reported the second year of &gt;25% Net income growth</li>
<li>The allocation of funds out of low return overnight deposits into higher-yielding JGBs is an ongoing trend for at least another 3 years</li>
<li>Bank still undervalued and underowned versus  Megabanks as earnings growth outpaces peers</li>
</ul>


The bank just reported the second year of &gt;25% Net income growth
The allocation of funds out of low return overnight deposits into higher-yielding JGBs is an ongoing trend for at least another 3 years
Bank still undervalued and underowned versus  Megabanks as earnings growth outpaces peers


Japan Post Bank (7182.T) - Delivering Alpha- More to Come

Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

Quantitative Analysis

<ul>
<li>
Context: A recent market pullback alongside implied volatility at the 95th–98th percentile has created a fertile environment for cross-sectional analysis across TOPIX and Nikkei 225 constituents.</li>
<li>
 Highlights: A quantitative screen reveals dispersion in both returns and volatility, with distinct clusters supporting different option structures—from premium-selling strategies to asymmetric upside participation.</li>
<li>
 Why read: This note provides a practical framework and illustrative setups (put underwriting, risk reversals) to help investors translate volatility signals into tailored option strategies.</li>
</ul>



Context: A recent market pullback alongside implied volatility at the 95th–98th percentile has created a fertile environment for cross-sectional analysis across TOPIX and Nikkei 225 constituents.

 Highlights: A quantitative screen reveals dispersion in both returns and volatility, with distinct clusters supporting different option structures—from premium-selling strategies to asymmetric upside participation.

 Why read: This note provides a practical framework and illustrative setups (put underwriting, risk reversals) to help investors translate volatility signals into tailored option strategies.


Japan Equities: Volatility Spike and Dispersion Create Options Opportunities

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sanrio-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16476:1" rel="noopener">Sanrio (8136 JP)</a>'s stock price dropped following the placement announcement in November. Then there was a rally in the stock amid increased volatility.</li>
<li>The placement resulted in an increase in free float and the move higher in the stock could lead to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sanrio-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16476:1" rel="noopener">Sanrio (8136 JP)</a> being added to a global index in May.</li>
<li>There is positioning in the stock but a lot of that appears to have been taken off in the last month. The stock could move higher depending on global cues.</li>
</ul>



Sanrio (8136 JP)'s stock price dropped following the placement announcement in November. Then there was a rally in the stock amid increased volatility.
The placement resulted in an increase in free float and the move higher in the stock could lead to Sanrio (8136 JP) being added to a global index in May.
There is positioning in the stock but a lot of that appears to have been taken off in the last month. The stock could move higher depending on global cues.


Sanrio (8136 JP): Global Index Inclusion in May

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>About 10 days ago I put out a piece saying H1 guidance trends were such that a lot more banks would upgrade guidance before results. </li>
<li>More than two dozen did and the average guidance uplift is VERY high at +59%. The median uplift vs guidance for 35 banks guiding/reporting is +39% for H1. </li>
<li>The big wave of bank earnings is today through late next week. Megas at the end. Stay long banks. Megas. Cheap regionals. </li>
</ul>


About 10 days ago I put out a piece saying H1 guidance trends were such that a lot more banks would upgrade guidance before results. 
More than two dozen did and the average guidance uplift is VERY high at +59%. The median uplift vs guidance for 35 banks guiding/reporting is +39% for H1. 
The big wave of bank earnings is today through late next week. Megas at the end. Stay long banks. Megas. Cheap regionals. 


Japan 2024 H1 Bank Guidance/Results - Better and Better

Japan

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. manages financial operations for its subsidiaries. The Company provides commercial banking and a variety of financial services.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316 JP)

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

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316 JP)

Banking on the BoJ

New Japanese PM's interest rate stance could lead to a stronger JPY against USD. Higher rates will help certain sectors in the market

Rikki Malik

Japan Post Bank (7182.T) - Delivering Alpha- More to Come

Despite outperformance over the year, the bank still offers upside given valuation and expected earnings growth over the next three years, together...

Rikki Malik

Japan Equities: Volatility Spike and Dispersion Create Options Opportunities

This note presents a cross-sectional approach to identifying options strategies in Japanese equities, set against a backdrop of market pullback and...

Gaudenz Schneider

Sanrio (8136 JP): Global Index Inclusion in May

Sanrio's stock price has stalled over the last few weeks and the announcement of inclusion in a global index in the next few weeks could take the...

Brian Freitas

Japan 2024 H1 Bank Guidance/Results - Better and Better

This AM has a Nikkei headline saying Japan's 3 megabanks will report ¥2.0trln in Net Profit in H1. That compares to ¥894bn last year, and ¥3.3trln...

Travis Lundy

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Banking on the BoJ

​New Japanese PM's interest rate stance could lead to a stronger JPY against USD. Higher rates will help certain sectors in the market

Rikki Malik

Japan Post Bank (7182.T) - Delivering Alpha- More to Come

Despite outperformance over the year, the bank still offers upside given valuation and expected earnings growth over the next three years, together...

Rikki Malik

Japan Equities: Volatility Spike and Dispersion Create Options Opportunities

This note presents a cross-sectional approach to identifying options strategies in Japanese equities, set against a backdrop of market pullback and...

Gaudenz Schneider

Sanrio (8136 JP): Global Index Inclusion in May

Sanrio's stock price has stalled over the last few weeks and the announcement of inclusion in a global index in the next few weeks could take the...

Brian Freitas

Japan 2024 H1 Bank Guidance/Results - Better and Better

This AM has a Nikkei headline saying Japan's 3 megabanks will report ¥2.0trln in Net Profit in H1. That compares to ¥894bn last year, and ¥3.3trln...

Travis Lundy

New Japanese PM's interest rate stance could lead to a stronger JPY against USD. Higher rates will help certain sectors in the market