Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

MSCI Emerging Markets Index / Technical Analysis

<p>Price and RS uptrends for the MSCI EM index continues to underpin our bullish outlook for emerging market equities -- remain overweight. We continue to attribute much of EM’s outperformance to the intact downtrend in the US dollar (DXY). As long as weakness in the DXY persists we believe EM’s outperformance is likely to continue.</p>

Price and RS uptrends for the MSCI EM index continues to underpin our bullish outlook for emerging market equities -- remain overweight. We continue to attribute much of EM’s outperformance to the intact downtrend in the US dollar (DXY). As long as weakness in the DXY persists we believe EM’s outperformance is likely to continue.

EM Remains Global Leadership -- Remain Overweight

Equity L/S Analyst | Forensic Accounting | India, Yellowstone Equity

Ankit Agrawal, CFA

Equity L/S Analyst | Forensic Accounting | India

Quantitative Analysis

<div>
<p>In this Smartkarma Original, we bring to you a quantitative approach for identifying Asian companies that are likely to raise/cut buyback. Applying this approach to a universe of 920+ companies listed across Asia helped us identify 40+ and 50+ companies that have a high likelihood of raising and cutting buybacks, respectively, over the next five years.</p>
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<div class="content-highlight">
<p><strong>What's Original?</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>We have two separate models, one for forecasting Buyback Raise and the other for Buyback Cut.</li>
<li>Our back test results are very encouraging with &gt;85% hit rate for our Buyback Raise model and &gt;94% hit rate for our Buyback Cut model.</li>
<li>For our Buyback Raise model, we differentiate from other quantitative buyback models by incorporating competing uses of cash like inorganic acquisitions through “Goodwill as % of Total Assets” parameter. Based on our analysis, we have also determined that, contrary to usual perception, any dividend payout is not a competing use of cash vs buyback but a healthy sign of capital return discipline and have incorporated it accordingly in our model. We also use long-term ROE vs growth trends to filter companies where the cash levels maybe low but the capability to do buyback with time can grow significantly. At the same time, we ensure to weed off very high growth companies that may have high re-investment needs through our carefully selected threshold for the "Long-term Revenue CAGR" parameter. </li>
</ul>
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<h3>Insight Flow</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Live Dashboard</li>
<li> Methodology
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Buyback Raise Model</li>
<li>Buyback Cut Model</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Universe</li>
<li>Back Test Results
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Buyback Raise Model</li>
<li>Buyback Cut Model</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Model Results
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Summary Statistics</li>
<li>Companies with High Probability of Buyback Raise</li>
<li>Companies with High Probability of Buyback Cut</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Buyback Timing</li>
<li>Model Risks &amp; Limitations</li>
<li>Conclusion</li>
</ul>
</div>


In this Smartkarma Original, we bring to you a quantitative approach for identifying Asian companies that are likely to raise/cut buyback. Applying this approach to a universe of 920+ companies listed across Asia helped us identify 40+ and 50+ companies that have a high likelihood of raising and cutting buybacks, respectively, over the next five years.




What's Original?

We have two separate models, one for forecasting Buyback Raise and the other for Buyback Cut.
Our back test results are very encouraging with &gt;85% hit rate for our Buyback Raise model and &gt;94% hit rate for our Buyback Cut model.
For our Buyback Raise model, we differentiate from other quantitative buyback models by incorporating competing uses of cash like inorganic acquisitions through “Goodwill as % of Total Assets” parameter. Based on our analysis, we have also determined that, contrary to usual perception, any dividend payout is not a competing use of cash vs buyback but a healthy sign of capital return discipline and have incorporated it accordingly in our model. We also use long-term ROE vs growth trends to filter companies where the cash levels maybe low but the capability to do buyback with time can grow significantly. At the same time, we ensure to weed off very high growth companies that may have high re-investment needs through our carefully selected threshold for the "Long-term Revenue CAGR" parameter. 





Insight Flow



Live Dashboard
 Methodology

Buyback Raise Model
Buyback Cut Model


Universe
Back Test Results

Buyback Raise Model
Buyback Cut Model


Model Results

Summary Statistics
Companies with High Probability of Buyback Raise
Companies with High Probability of Buyback Cut


Buyback Timing
Model Risks &amp; Limitations
Conclusion



Asia Buyback Forecasting | Which Companies Are Likely to Raise/Cut Buybacks?

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Equity Bottom-Up

<div>
<p>This week in StubWorld ...</p>
<div class="content-highlight">
<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-evergrande-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:479:1" rel="noopener">Evergrande Real Estate Group (3333 HK)</a> plumbs a new discount to NAV low after <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-evergrande-new-energy-vehicle-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:713:1" rel="noopener">Evergrande Auto (708 HK)</a>'s meteoric post-placement gain; <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pccw-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:873:1" rel="noopener">PCCW Ltd (8 HK)</a> discount to NAV retraces, as expected; and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lg-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6653:1" rel="noopener">LG Corp (003550 KS)</a> still look cheap versus its sum of parts.</p>
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<hr>
<div>
<p>Preceding my comments on these holdcos are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.</p>
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<p>These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold - the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed in percent - of at least 20%.</p>
</div>


This week in StubWorld ...

Evergrande Real Estate Group (3333 HK) plumbs a new discount to NAV low after Evergrande Auto (708 HK)'s meteoric post-placement gain; PCCW Ltd (8 HK) discount to NAV retraces, as expected; and LG Corp (003550 KS) still look cheap versus its sum of parts.




Preceding my comments on these holdcos are the weekly setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.


These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity threshold of US$1mn on a 90-day moving average, and a % market capitalisation threshold - the $ value of the holding/opco held, over the parent’s market capitalisation, expressed in percent - of at least 20%.


StubWorld: Evergrande Auto, PCCW, LG Corp

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Event-Driven

<p>Shares of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lg-electronics-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8814:1" rel="noopener">LG Electronics (066570 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lg-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6653:1" rel="noopener">LG Corp (003550 KS)</a> increased by 12.8% and 5.3% respectively today. The CEO of LG Elctronics Kwon Bong-Seok announced today that the company is open to all possibilities regarding the MC (mobile communications) business unit which has been a consistently generated big losses for the company in the past decade.</p><p>Basically, although the CEO Kwon has not directly mentioned that the company will sell the MC business unit, he provided indirect clues that the company is now very serious about selling the the money losing MC business unit to boost the overall value of the company. Despite the MC unit coming out with some innovative products, this business unit had 23 consecutive quarters of losses until the end of last year. </p><div class="content-highlight"><p><strong>Our base case assumes that if the MC business unit is discontinued, the additional value accretion to LG Electronics would be 7.8 trillion won (dividing the annual operating loss of 777 billion won by the 10% perpetuity discount rate). This 7.8 trillion won in value would be 28% of LG Electronics' current market cap of 27.4 trillion won. </strong></p></div>

Shares of LG Electronics (066570 KS) and LG Corp (003550 KS) increased by 12.8% and 5.3% respectively today. The CEO of LG Elctronics Kwon Bong-Seok announced today that the company is open to all possibilities regarding the MC (mobile communications) business unit which has been a consistently generated big losses for the company in the past decade.Basically, although the CEO Kwon has not directly mentioned that the company will sell the MC business unit, he provided indirect clues that the company is now very serious about selling the the money losing MC business unit to boost the overall value of the company. Despite the MC unit coming out with some innovative products, this business unit had 23 consecutive quarters of losses until the end of last year. Our base case assumes that if the MC business unit is discontinued, the additional value accretion to LG Electronics would be 7.8 trillion won (dividing the annual operating loss of 777 billion won by the 10% perpetuity discount rate). This 7.8 trillion won in value would be 28% of LG Electronics' current market cap of 27.4 trillion won. 

Will LG Electronics Finally Sell or Discontinue the MC Business & Fix Its Achilles Heel?

<p>In this insight, we provide an updated valuation analysis of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-c-t-corporation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:481:1" rel="noopener">Samsung C&amp;T (028260 KS) </a>and key catalysts of the company.  </p><div class="content-highlight"><p><strong>Our base case valuation of Samsung C&amp;T is market cap of 43.2 trillion won and implied price of 231,387 won, which represents a 52% upside from current levels.</strong></p></div><h2><strong>Key Catalysts </strong></h2><ul>
<li><strong>Higher dividends expectation </strong></li>
<li><strong>Turnaround of the housing construction business in Korea</strong></li>
<li><strong>Potential reorganization of Samsung C&amp;T into a Holdco</strong></li>
<li><strong>Recent outperformance of holdcos/semi-holdcos in Korea </strong></li>
</ul>

In this insight, we provide an updated valuation analysis of Samsung C&amp;T (028260 KS) and key catalysts of the company.  Our base case valuation of Samsung C&amp;T is market cap of 43.2 trillion won and implied price of 231,387 won, which represents a 52% upside from current levels.Key Catalysts 
Higher dividends expectation 
Turnaround of the housing construction business in Korea
Potential reorganization of Samsung C&amp;T into a Holdco
Recent outperformance of holdcos/semi-holdcos in Korea 


Samsung C&T: Valuation Sensitivity Analysis & Key Catalysts

South Korea

LG Corp. is a holding company, which operates subsidiaries including LG Electronics, LG Household & Health Care, LG Chem Ltd., and Dacom Corp. The Company's main business areas are electronics, chemicals, and household products manufacturing and telecommunications services.

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LG Corp (003550 KS)

EM Remains Global Leadership -- Remain Overweight

Price and RS uptrends for the MSCI EM index continues to underpin our bullish outlook for emerging market equities -- remain overweight.

Vermilion Research

Asia Buyback Forecasting | Which Companies Are Likely to Raise/Cut Buybacks?

A predictive quantitative model for Asian companies to help determine which companies are likely to raise/cut buybacks in future.

Ankit Agrawal, CFA

StubWorld: Evergrande Auto, PCCW, LG Corp

Chine Evergrande (3333 HK) looks "cheap" and Evergrande Auto (708 HK) frothy, suggesting a set-up here. Personally, I would avoid both.

David Blennerhassett

Will LG Electronics Finally Sell or Discontinue the MC Business & Fix Its Achilles Heel?

Our base case assumes that if the MC business unit of LG Electronics is discontinued, the additional value accretion to LG Electronics would be 7.8...

Douglas Kim

Samsung C&T: Valuation Sensitivity Analysis & Key Catalysts

We provide an updated valuation of Samsung C&T and key catalysts of the company. Our base case valuation of Samsung C&T is implied price of 231,387...

Douglas Kim

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