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>Below we lay out what we believe is a compelling case to add exposure to European/UK Financial stocks at current levels.</li>
<li>The EURO STOXX 50 has been on an absolute tear since we discussed the bullish implications of a break above 4200, and it now breaking above 2+year resistance at 4400-4415.</li>
<li>Financials are one of the leading Sectors within Europe/UK, and banks, insurance, and financial services are all attractive. We highlight several of our favorite names to buy at current levels</li>
</ul>


Below we lay out what we believe is a compelling case to add exposure to European/UK Financial stocks at current levels.
The EURO STOXX 50 has been on an absolute tear since we discussed the bullish implications of a break above 4200, and it now breaking above 2+year resistance at 4400-4415.
Financials are one of the leading Sectors within Europe/UK, and banks, insurance, and financial services are all attractive. We highlight several of our favorite names to buy at current levels


Buying Financials in Europe/UK; Buy Highlighted: $EUFN, Allianz, Banco Santander, Wise PLC, and More

EURO STOXX 50 Price EUR / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We continue to view the latest pullback as healthy and normal within the ongoing bull market on MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) and the EURO STOXX 50, as discussed April 18</li>
<li>Discussed last Thursday(4/18/24) how further downside may be limited with these indexes 4-5% off their highs, combined with ACWI-US testing gap support ($105) and the EURO STOXX50 testing 6-month uptrend. </li>
<li>So far, these supports have held strong, and Japan's TOPIX has also held strong above 2615 support -- with all producing strong bounces far this week.</li>
</ul>


We continue to view the latest pullback as healthy and normal within the ongoing bull market on MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) and the EURO STOXX 50, as discussed April 18
Discussed last Thursday(4/18/24) how further downside may be limited with these indexes 4-5% off their highs, combined with ACWI-US testing gap support ($105) and the EURO STOXX50 testing 6-month uptrend. 
So far, these supports have held strong, and Japan's TOPIX has also held strong above 2615 support -- with all producing strong bounces far this week.


Upgrading Europe to Overweight; Supports Holding on MSCI ACWI, ACWI Ex-US, EAFE, and EM

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

In mid-December 2020, there were news reports which suddenly circulated suggesting <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-post-insurance-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:840:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post Insurance (7181 JP)</a> was planning to buy ¥300bn of its own shares, with the goal of making sure that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-post-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:359:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post Holdings (6178 JP)</a>'s ownership dropped below 50%.This was discussed that day in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/huge-japan-post-insurance-buyback-mooted-decks-cleared-time-to-buy" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:46429" rel="noopener">Huge Japan Post Insurance Buyback Mooted - Decks Cleared. Time To Buy</a> and re-upped three weeks later in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-post-insurance-update-three-reasons-to-buy-any-overhang-slightly-higher" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:46862" rel="noopener">Japan Post Insurance Update - Three Reasons To Buy. Any Overhang Slightly Higher</a> just before the TOPIX FFW announcement. Things have been quiet since then, but the Company has steadily made progress ticking off the matters which were part of the company's corrective action plan after the sales scandal of 2019-2020. Getting these things finalised effectively "proves" that the company is ready to be let loose of its parent company, but importantly, the corrective action plan was couched in terms that basically said the only good way forward was to have a better and more comprehensive product suite, which would require being free of the burdens of the "Approval System."<div class="content-remarks">
In November of 2020, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-post-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:359:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post Holdings (6178 JP)</a> ("JPH") CEO Masuda publicly described a JPH plan to lower its stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-post-insurance-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:840:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post Insurance (7181 JP)</a> ("JPI") and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-post-bank-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:838:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post Bank (7182 JP)</a> ("JPB") to below 50% in the five year period to 2025.
In late April 2021, the government Panel on Postal Service Privatization (<a href="https://www.yuseimineika.go.jp/iinkai.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link</a>) submitted a report (Japanese only (<a href="https://www.yuseimineika.go.jp/iinkai/dai230/230_iken.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link1</a>, <a href="https://www.yuseimineika.go.jp/iinkai/dai230/230_iken_gaiyo.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link2</a>)) to Prime Minister Suga which urged <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-post-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:359:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post Holdings (6178 JP)</a> to lower its equity stakes in its two financial units - <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-post-insurance-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:840:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post Insurance (7181 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-post-bank-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:838:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post Bank (7182 JP)</a> to or below 50 pct between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2025. It also asked the JPH to make a plan to sell ALL of its shares in the subsidiaries.
</div><h2>The NEW News</h2>Today, with full-year earnings, Japan Post Insurance announced a buyback of up to 162,906,300 shares (29.0%) spending up to ¥439.8bn. This will be done in a ToSTNeT-3 transaction Monday morning. Japan Post Holdings announced they would sell a similar number of shares into the buy order, and would sell an additional 400,000 shares held in a trust. By so doing, the percentage of Japan Post Insurance voting rights held by Japan Post Holdings would drop to 49.90%. That's it. A HUGELY accretive buyback leads to a huge business opportunity for a hugely undervalued life insurer (about to become substantially more undervalued on Price/EEV terms) which has been handcuffed for its whole existence. What more do you want?

In mid-December 2020, there were news reports which suddenly circulated suggesting Japan Post Insurance (7181 JP) was planning to buy ¥300bn of its own shares, with the goal of making sure that Japan Post Holdings (6178 JP)'s ownership dropped below 50%.This was discussed that day in Huge Japan Post Insurance Buyback Mooted - Decks Cleared. Time To Buy and re-upped three weeks later in Japan Post Insurance Update - Three Reasons To Buy. Any Overhang Slightly Higher just before the TOPIX FFW announcement. Things have been quiet since then, but the Company has steadily made progress ticking off the matters which were part of the company's corrective action plan after the sales scandal of 2019-2020. Getting these things finalised effectively "proves" that the company is ready to be let loose of its parent company, but importantly, the corrective action plan was couched in terms that basically said the only good way forward was to have a better and more comprehensive product suite, which would require being free of the burdens of the "Approval System."
In November of 2020, Japan Post Holdings (6178 JP) ("JPH") CEO Masuda publicly described a JPH plan to lower its stake in Japan Post Insurance (7181 JP) ("JPI") and Japan Post Bank (7182 JP) ("JPB") to below 50% in the five year period to 2025.
In late April 2021, the government Panel on Postal Service Privatization (link) submitted a report (Japanese only (link1, link2)) to Prime Minister Suga which urged Japan Post Holdings (6178 JP) to lower its equity stakes in its two financial units - Japan Post Insurance (7181 JP) and Japan Post Bank (7182 JP) to or below 50 pct between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2025. It also asked the JPH to make a plan to sell ALL of its shares in the subsidiaries.
The NEW NewsToday, with full-year earnings, Japan Post Insurance announced a buyback of up to 162,906,300 shares (29.0%) spending up to ¥439.8bn. This will be done in a ToSTNeT-3 transaction Monday morning. Japan Post Holdings announced they would sell a similar number of shares into the buy order, and would sell an additional 400,000 shares held in a trust. By so doing, the percentage of Japan Post Insurance voting rights held by Japan Post Holdings would drop to 49.90%. That's it. A HUGELY accretive buyback leads to a huge business opportunity for a hugely undervalued life insurer (about to become substantially more undervalued on Price/EEV terms) which has been handcuffed for its whole existence. What more do you want?

Japan Post Insurance - It's ON! Buyback, Huge Accretion, Restrictions Lifted. What's Not To Like?

AngloGold Ashanti Spon Adr / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We continue to see more global indexes/Sectors breaking out to new highs, with the latest being the MSCI Emerging Markets index (local currency), breaking out from a 2-year base--add exposure.</li>
<li>In terms of MSCI EM specifically, this is a huge risk-on signal for global equities, as EM is pretty much as risky as it gets across the global landscape.</li>
<li>Our bullish outlook (since early November 2023) remains intact; continue to ride this trend higher, and treat pullbacks as buying opportunities.</li>
</ul>


We continue to see more global indexes/Sectors breaking out to new highs, with the latest being the MSCI Emerging Markets index (local currency), breaking out from a 2-year base--add exposure.
In terms of MSCI EM specifically, this is a huge risk-on signal for global equities, as EM is pretty much as risky as it gets across the global landscape.
Our bullish outlook (since early November 2023) remains intact; continue to ride this trend higher, and treat pullbacks as buying opportunities.


MSCI Emerging Markets Finally Join the Rally; China/HK Improve; Upgrading Taiwan, Downgrading Brazil

<ul>
<li>Our overall outlook remains largely unchanged; we remain bullish on global equities as long as the MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) is above major $93 support.</li>
<li>We also discussed that if the 10-year Treasury yield remains below 4.35% and the DXY is below $105.70, we would continue to expect $93 support on ACWI-US to hold.</li>
<li>The 10-year Treasury yield is attempting to break above 4.35% and this could create a problem for ACWI-US; we will continue to monitor closely.</li>
</ul>


Our overall outlook remains largely unchanged; we remain bullish on global equities as long as the MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) is above major $93 support.
We also discussed that if the 10-year Treasury yield remains below 4.35% and the DXY is below $105.70, we would continue to expect $93 support on ACWI-US to hold.
The 10-year Treasury yield is attempting to break above 4.35% and this could create a problem for ACWI-US; we will continue to monitor closely.


Overweight Value Within Global Ex-U.S. Equities; DXY Below $105.70; Buys in Global Value

Germany

Allianz SE, through subsidiaries, offers insurance and financial services. The Company offers property and casualty, life and health, credit, motor vehicle, and travel insurance, as well as and fund management services.

Allianz (ALV GR)

Buying Financials in Europe/UK; Buy Highlighted: $EUFN, Allianz, Banco Santander, Wise PLC, and More

Europe EURO $STOXX 50 in re-emerging as leadership, and Financials $EUFN are leading the charge within Europe/UK. Banks, insurance, and financial...

Vermilion Research

Upgrading Europe to Overweight; Supports Holding on MSCI ACWI, ACWI Ex-US, EAFE, and EM

Upgrading Europe to Overweight EURO $STOXX 50 $FEZ; Supports Holding on MSCI $ACWI, $ACWX, $EFA, and $EEM. Latest 4-6% pullback remains healthy...

Vermilion Research

Japan Post Insurance - It's ON! Buyback, Huge Accretion, Restrictions Lifted. What's Not To Like?

Japan Post Insurance has announced a 29% buyback, the JPH selldown, the imminent end to Postal Privatization Act restrictions. And it can get some...

Travis Lundy

MSCI Emerging Markets Finally Join the Rally; China/HK Improve; Upgrading Taiwan, Downgrading Brazil

MSCI EM Finally Joins the Rally; China/Hong Kong Continue to Improve; Downgrading Brazil to Market Weight; Upgrading Taiwan to Overweight;...

Vermilion Research

Overweight Value Within Global Ex-U.S. Equities; DXY Below $105.70; Buys in Global Value

We're constructive on global equities as long as $ACWI is above $93 support, however, the 10-year Treasury yield $TNX is breaking above 4.35%...

Vermilion Research