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>Solactive has announced the review results for the Global Lithium Index. There are no constituent changes for the index but there will be capping changes for a few stocks.</li>
<li>Estimated one-way turnover is 10.8% and will result in a round-trip trade of US$208m. There are some stocks with over 0.5x ADV to trade.</li>
<li>The index has been in a secular downtrend over the last few years and there have been big redemptions from ETFs tracking the index.</li>
</ul>


Solactive has announced the review results for the Global Lithium Index. There are no constituent changes for the index but there will be capping changes for a few stocks.
Estimated one-way turnover is 10.8% and will result in a round-trip trade of US$208m. There are some stocks with over 0.5x ADV to trade.
The index has been in a secular downtrend over the last few years and there have been big redemptions from ETFs tracking the index.


Solactive Global Lithium Index Rebalance: Passive Flows Next Week

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/standard-lithium-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:38824:1" rel="noopener">Standard Lithium (SLI US)</a> will be deleted from the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/vaneck-rare-earth-strategic-me" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32320:1" rel="noopener">VanEck Rare Earth/Strategic Me (REMX US)</a> at the close of trading on 21 March.</li>
<li>The constituent change, float changes and capping changes result in an estimated one-way turnover of 8.9% and in a round-trip trade of US$61m.</li>
<li>The largest inflows will be in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pilbara-minerals-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7460:1" rel="noopener">Pilbara Minerals (PLS AU)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/albemarle-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7678:1" rel="noopener">Albemarle (ALB US)</a> while there will be outflows from <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mp-materials-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33108:1" rel="noopener">MP Materials (MP US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lynas-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20374:1" rel="noopener">Lynas Corp (LYC AU)</a>.</li>
</ul>



Standard Lithium (SLI US) will be deleted from the VanEck Rare Earth/Strategic Me (REMX US) at the close of trading on 21 March.
The constituent change, float changes and capping changes result in an estimated one-way turnover of 8.9% and in a round-trip trade of US$61m.
The largest inflows will be in Pilbara Minerals (PLS AU) and Albemarle (ALB US) while there will be outflows from MP Materials (MP US) and Lynas Corp (LYC AU).


MV Global Rare Earth/​​​​​Strategic Metals Index Rebalance: One Delete & Other Changes

Research from Water Tower Research, Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research

Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>Political policies could affect markets across the spectrum.</li><li>The incoming administration’s more hawkish attitude when it comes to potentially destabilizing implementation of tariffs as a political rather than economic tool could result in greater volatility when it comes to commodity and finished goods pricing and availability, while its greater focus on domestic energy production and onshoring of supply chains could provide opportunities and lead to lower energy and logistics costs.</li><li>Lower energy and feedstock costs could drive margin improvement. </li></ul>

Political policies could affect markets across the spectrum.The incoming administration’s more hawkish attitude when it comes to potentially destabilizing implementation of tariffs as a political rather than economic tool could result in greater volatility when it comes to commodity and finished goods pricing and availability, while its greater focus on domestic energy production and onshoring of supply chains could provide opportunities and lead to lower energy and logistics costs.Lower energy and feedstock costs could drive margin improvement. 

WTR Small-Cap Spotlight Recap - Trends That Could Shape Chemicals and Materials Industries in 2025

<ul><li>WTR-CMI in 2024. Last year was difficult for specialty chemicals and materials stocks, with our WTR-CMI Index posting a rather modest 5% gain for the year, affected by &gt;40% Y/Y declines in lithium stocks.</li><li>The index’s performance was well off the pace of the Russell 2000 and S&amp;P 500, which posted returns of 10.8% and 24%, respectively, driven by the extraordinary gains of the “magnificent seven” tech and media stocks.</li><li>On a positive note, RYAM’s stock price nearly doubled during the year, driven by an improving pricing environment, better sales mix, and cost containment efforts, as well as the ramp-up of the company’s Biomaterials business. </li></ul>

WTR-CMI in 2024. Last year was difficult for specialty chemicals and materials stocks, with our WTR-CMI Index posting a rather modest 5% gain for the year, affected by &gt;40% Y/Y declines in lithium stocks.The index’s performance was well off the pace of the Russell 2000 and S&amp;P 500, which posted returns of 10.8% and 24%, respectively, driven by the extraordinary gains of the “magnificent seven” tech and media stocks.On a positive note, RYAM’s stock price nearly doubled during the year, driven by an improving pricing environment, better sales mix, and cost containment efforts, as well as the ramp-up of the company’s Biomaterials business. 

Mat-Chem Notes - Looking Ahead by Looking Back at 2024

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Back on the 9th October, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rio-tinto-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13:1" rel="noopener">Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO AU)</a> reached an agreement to buy <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/arcadium-lithium-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:40438:1" rel="noopener">Arcadium Lithium (LTM AU/ALTM US)</a> for US$5.85/share (~A$8.70/share), a ~90% premium to undisturbed.</li>
<li>The proxy statement is now out, with a Scheme Meeting scheduled for 23 December. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2025. The long stop is the 9th October 2025.</li>
<li>Trading wide-ish at a gross spread of 11.9%, reflecting the timing to secure regulatory approvals - notably from China - as opposed the Offer Price being viewed as opportunistic.</li>
</ul>


Back on the 9th October, Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO AU) reached an agreement to buy Arcadium Lithium (LTM AU/ALTM US) for US$5.85/share (~A$8.70/share), a ~90% premium to undisturbed.
The proxy statement is now out, with a Scheme Meeting scheduled for 23 December. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2025. The long stop is the 9th October 2025.
Trading wide-ish at a gross spread of 11.9%, reflecting the timing to secure regulatory approvals - notably from China - as opposed the Offer Price being viewed as opportunistic.


Rio Tinto/Arcadium: Trading Wide Ahead Of 23rd Dec Vote

United States

Albemarle Corporation produces specialty and fine chemicals.  The Company's chemicals are additives to or intermediates for plastics, polymers and elastomers, cleaning products, agricultural compounds, pharmaceuticals, photographic chemicals, drilling compounds, and biocides.  Albemarle produces the majority of its products in the United States.

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Albemarle Corp (ALB US)

Solactive Global Lithium Index Rebalance: Passive Flows Next Week

There are capping changes for the Global Lithium Index next week. Estimated one-way turnover is 10.8% resulting in a round-trip trade of US$208m....

Brian Freitas

MV Global Rare Earth/Strategic Metals Index Rebalance: One Delete & Other Changes

Standard Lithium is a delete. Estimated one-way turnover of 8.9% results in a round-trip trade of US$61m. Pilbara Minerals is a passive buy...

Brian Freitas

WTR Small-Cap Spotlight Recap - Trends That Could Shape Chemicals and Materials Industries in 2025

On the latest WTR Small-Cap Spotlight, we discussed our high-level views of the specialty chemicals and materials technology industries heading...

Water Tower Research

Mat-Chem Notes - Looking Ahead by Looking Back at 2024

Last year was difficult for specialty chemicals and materials stocks, with our WTR-CMI Index posting a rather modest 5% gain for the year, affected...

Water Tower Research

Rio Tinto/Arcadium: Trading Wide Ahead Of 23rd Dec Vote

This looks done. Trading at a 11.9%/20.5% gross/annualised return, assuming mid 2025 completion. That looks attractive. The key risk is one of...

David Blennerhassett

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Solactive Global Lithium Index Rebalance: Passive Flows Next Week

There are capping changes for the Global Lithium Index next week. Estimated one-way turnover is 10.8% resulting in a round-trip trade of US$208m....

Brian Freitas

MV Global Rare Earth/​​​​​Strategic Metals Index Rebalance: One Delete & Other Changes

Standard Lithium is a delete. Estimated one-way turnover of 8.9% results in a round-trip trade of US$61m. Pilbara Minerals is a passive buy...

Brian Freitas

WTR Small-Cap Spotlight Recap - Trends That Could Shape Chemicals and Materials Industries in 2025

On the latest WTR Small-Cap Spotlight, we discussed our high-level views of the specialty chemicals and materials technology industries heading...

Water Tower Research

Mat-Chem Notes - Looking Ahead by Looking Back at 2024

Last year was difficult for specialty chemicals and materials stocks, with our WTR-CMI Index posting a rather modest 5% gain for the year, affected...

Water Tower Research

Rio Tinto/Arcadium: Trading Wide Ahead Of 23rd Dec Vote

This looks done. Trading at a 11.9%/20.5% gross/annualised return, assuming mid 2025 completion. That looks attractive. The key risk is one of...

David Blennerhassett

MV Global Rare Earth/Strategic Metals Index Rebalance: One Delete & Other Changes