Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets, JapanConsuming

Michael Causton

Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets

Real Insight on Japanese Consumer Markets

JapanConsuming

JapanConsuming is a specialist research firm producing intelligence on Japanese retail and consumer markets. Founded in 2000, JapanConsuming has become the leading provider of insights on Japanese retailers and consumer trends to retailers, brands, government agencies and investors. As well as a highly regarded monthly report on the market, JapanConsuming produces in-depth reports on retail sectors, seminars on key trends and telephone consulting to investors on trends and retailers.

JapanConsuming was founded by Michael Causton and Roy Larke. 

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Seven &amp; I has at last agreed to sell the ailing Sogo Seibu chain – although not for enough to offset years of investment with little to show for it.</li>
<li>Some hope that this means the start of a house cleaning exercise to rid the group of its multiple under-performing retail assets, leaving a gleaming exemplar of rational efficiency.</li>
<li>This is unlikely, especially for the original Ito-Yokado general merchandise chain and a problem given the lack of growth potential in the group's domestic business.</li>
</ul>


Seven &amp; I has at last agreed to sell the ailing Sogo Seibu chain – although not for enough to offset years of investment with little to show for it.
Some hope that this means the start of a house cleaning exercise to rid the group of its multiple under-performing retail assets, leaving a gleaming exemplar of rational efficiency.
This is unlikely, especially for the original Ito-Yokado general merchandise chain and a problem given the lack of growth potential in the group's domestic business.


Selling Sogo Seibu Doesn't Mean Seven & I Will Sell Ito-Yokado

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

<ul>
<li>We are seeing signs that suggest this pullback may have run its course, as several global market indexes and Sectors appear to be making a higher low near logical support.</li>
<li>This includes the S&amp;P 500, Russell 2000, MSCI ACWI (local currency), TOPIX/TOPIX Small/Nikkei 225, MSCI ACWI Technology (IXN-US), Consumer Discretionary (RXI-US), Financials (IXG-US), Industrials and (EXI-US) -- add exposure.</li>
<li>While our overall outlook remains neutral, we continue to see a plethora of attractive buying opportunities in the new leaders.</li>
</ul>


We are seeing signs that suggest this pullback may have run its course, as several global market indexes and Sectors appear to be making a higher low near logical support.
This includes the S&amp;P 500, Russell 2000, MSCI ACWI (local currency), TOPIX/TOPIX Small/Nikkei 225, MSCI ACWI Technology (IXN-US), Consumer Discretionary (RXI-US), Financials (IXG-US), Industrials and (EXI-US) -- add exposure.
While our overall outlook remains neutral, we continue to see a plethora of attractive buying opportunities in the new leaders.


Pullback Complete?; Commodities Heading Lower; Buying Growth/Cyclicals & A Few Utilities

<ul>
<li>Broad global MSCI equity indexes (ACWI,ACWI ex-U.S.,EAFE, and EM) remain bearish with YTD downtrends intact. Until these indexes reverse downtrends, we are bearish and view bounces as bear market rallies.</li>
<li>Major non-U.S. countries appear to be much further along in the bottoming process, a potential sign that U.S. indexes could take a back seat once global equities finally bottom.</li>
<li>Indexes that have not made a new low since March: Nikkei 225, TOPIX, TOPIX Small, Hang Seng, Europe’s EURO STOXX 50, and China's MSCI China (MCHI-US) and China Internet (KWEB-US).</li>
</ul>


Broad global MSCI equity indexes (ACWI,ACWI ex-U.S.,EAFE, and EM) remain bearish with YTD downtrends intact. Until these indexes reverse downtrends, we are bearish and view bounces as bear market rallies.
Major non-U.S. countries appear to be much further along in the bottoming process, a potential sign that U.S. indexes could take a back seat once global equities finally bottom.
Indexes that have not made a new low since March: Nikkei 225, TOPIX, TOPIX Small, Hang Seng, Europe’s EURO STOXX 50, and China's MSCI China (MCHI-US) and China Internet (KWEB-US).


Hang Seng, MSCI China Near Major Base Breakouts; Bottoms-Up Stock Rec's in Hong Kong, China, & Japan

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Workman sees an opportunity to disrupt the footwear market by creating Japan’s first national low price chain, with a strong focus on women’s shoes.</li>
<li>It launched the first store this month with prices as low as ¥680 and expects to have 200 stores in the near future.</li>
<li>The Japanese footwear market is ripe for disruption as <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/abc-mart-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3213:1" rel="noopener">Abc Mart Inc (2670 JP)</a> diversifies and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/chiyoda-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6461:1" rel="noopener">Chiyoda Co Ltd (8185 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/gfoot-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10237:1" rel="noopener">Gfoot Co Ltd (2686 JP)</a> struggle to maintain momentum.</li>
</ul>


Workman sees an opportunity to disrupt the footwear market by creating Japan’s first national low price chain, with a strong focus on women’s shoes.
It launched the first store this month with prices as low as ¥680 and expects to have 200 stores in the near future.
The Japanese footwear market is ripe for disruption as Abc Mart Inc (2670 JP) diversifies and Chiyoda Co Ltd (8185 JP) and Gfoot Co Ltd (2686 JP) struggle to maintain momentum.


Workman to Disrupt Footwear Market with ¥60 Billion Sales Target

Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Equity Analyst

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.

<ul>
<li>Value Act’s investor activism campaign has already made more progress than any other investor activism campaign in the recent past.</li>
<li>There are many similarities between ValueAct's transformation plan and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/seven-i-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1041:1" rel="noopener">Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP)</a>'s letter to its shareholders, one might think the letter could be minutes from a meeting.</li>
<li>Therefore, we see no reason to get frustrated over the lack of tangible developments, as the management is fully on board and things are moving on nicely behind the scenes.</li>
</ul>


Value Act’s investor activism campaign has already made more progress than any other investor activism campaign in the recent past.
There are many similarities between ValueAct's transformation plan and Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP)'s letter to its shareholders, one might think the letter could be minutes from a meeting.
Therefore, we see no reason to get frustrated over the lack of tangible developments, as the management is fully on board and things are moving on nicely behind the scenes.


Japan

ABC-MART, INC. plans, develops, wholesales, and retails shoes.  The Company also plans and develops brand name shoes such as VANS and G.T. HAWKINS.  ABC-Mart imports and wholesales shoes, apparel, bags, and sundries as well.

Price Gauge
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Dividend (Yield)	0.00

ABC Mart (2670 JP)

Selling Sogo Seibu Doesn't Mean Seven & I Will Sell Ito-Yokado

Seven & I will be better off now that it has sold off Sogo Seibu (which will be in much better hands) but this doesn't mean it will offload other...

Michael Causton

Pullback Complete?; Commodities Heading Lower; Buying Growth/Cyclicals & A Few Utilities

Signs suggest this pullback may have run its course, as several global market indexes & Sectors appear to be making a higher low near logical...

Vermilion Research

Hang Seng, MSCI China Near Major Base Breakouts; Bottoms-Up Stock Rec's in Hong Kong, China, & Japan

Hong Kong's Hang Seng and China's $MCHI and $KWEB are near major base breakouts. We are watching is 22,700 on Hang Seng and $56.60 on MCHI; we are...

Vermilion Research

Workman to Disrupt Footwear Market with ¥60 Billion Sales Target

Some analysts write off Workman as a past growth story. This is a mistake. It remains one of the strongest discount lifestyle retailers and has...

Michael Causton

Seven & I Investor Activism Update

We see no reason to get frustrated over the lack of tangible developments with regard to ValueAct’s investor activism campaign as it appears that...

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Price Gauge

52-week Range

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