Equity Analyst - Asia Consumer Sector, Investory

Devi Subhakesan

Equity Analyst - Asia Consumer Sector

ASIA CONSUMER: INSIGHTS AND INVESTMENT IDEAS

Investory

Investory is a Singapore-based boutique independent equity research firm founded in January 2017 with a primary focus on consumption themes across Asia-Pacific.

We aim to generate investible ideas based on consumption trends and outlook. We screen our ideas on several parameters - product potential, long-term growth and management commitment being the most critical.  We follow a fundamental analysis approach in our stock selection process and are not restricted by market cap.

We aspire to grow into a leading source of unbiased research, free of conflict of interest, for investors yearning for independent and disciplined analysis. 

We also undertake bespoke research mandates to support our Institutional clients’ investment needs.

Our team comprises of professionals with extensive experience in the Asian equity markets, in areas ranging from research, servicing institutional clients and investment management.

Equity Capital Markets

In this insight, we discuss how and why the growth outlook for the online food delivery sector in India is not as robust as online consumer retail - a fact that Zomato's buoyant valuations seem to overlook. Food delivery players like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zomato-media-pvt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28820:1" rel="noopener">Zomato (ZOM IN)</a> can tap into only a fraction of India's rising e-Comm user base in the next several years and hence are not the best plays on India's expanding online shopper base. India's low urbanization rate, restrictive social factors, and high level of income inequality limit the penetration rate for food delivery platforms like Zomato and thus impact their pace and potential for growth in the near-to-medium term vis-a-vis online retail tech platforms. Investors need to be cognizant of these restrictive macro factors while assessing this IPO's investment worth and valuation assumptions.Zomato's IPO has received the regulator's approval and is priced at Rs72 - 76 indicating a steep increase in valuation versus its last round of fundraising in February 2021. At the upper-end, Zomato will now be valued at USD8Bn+ versus USD5.2 Bn in Feb 2021. We suspect the street's excitement over this USD1.2 Bn+ IPO is likely driven by bullish growth expectations based on India's expanding online user base as well as the brand's high visibility and recall. We believe upcoming IPOs in the online retail sector like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/flipkart-online-services-private-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31076:1" rel="noopener">Flipkart, </a><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nykaa-e-retail-pvt-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33469:1" rel="noopener">Nykaa E-Retail </a>could offer a more direct investment opportunity to ride the growth in India's rising online spending.Our earlier report <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/zomato-s-usd-1bn-ipo-india-foodtech-s-lead-play-striking-when-the-market-is-covid-hot" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:50874" rel="noopener">Zomato's USD 1Bn IPO: India Foodtech's Lead Play. Striking when the Market Is COVID-Hot.</a>discussed Zomato's business basics.<section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/217/484/original/Screenshot+2021-07-08+at+6.24.44+PM.png?1625741192" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="217484"></figure></section>

In this insight, we discuss how and why the growth outlook for the online food delivery sector in India is not as robust as online consumer retail - a fact that Zomato's buoyant valuations seem to overlook. Food delivery players like Zomato (ZOM IN) can tap into only a fraction of India's rising e-Comm user base in the next several years and hence are not the best plays on India's expanding online shopper base. India's low urbanization rate, restrictive social factors, and high level of income inequality limit the penetration rate for food delivery platforms like Zomato and thus impact their pace and potential for growth in the near-to-medium term vis-a-vis online retail tech platforms. Investors need to be cognizant of these restrictive macro factors while assessing this IPO's investment worth and valuation assumptions.Zomato's IPO has received the regulator's approval and is priced at Rs72 - 76 indicating a steep increase in valuation versus its last round of fundraising in February 2021. At the upper-end, Zomato will now be valued at USD8Bn+ versus USD5.2 Bn in Feb 2021. We suspect the street's excitement over this USD1.2 Bn+ IPO is likely driven by bullish growth expectations based on India's expanding online user base as well as the brand's high visibility and recall. We believe upcoming IPOs in the online retail sector like Flipkart, Nykaa E-Retail could offer a more direct investment opportunity to ride the growth in India's rising online spending.Our earlier report Zomato's USD 1Bn IPO: India Foodtech's Lead Play. Striking when the Market Is COVID-Hot.discussed Zomato's business basics.

Zomato IPO: Floating High Above Sector Reality. Not a Linear Play on India's Rising EComm User Base

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. 

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

Japan’s retail and distribution sector has long been seen as fragmented, even to the point of being accused of inefficiency. On the surface, concentration levels do remain low, but scratch that surface and a very different picture emerges.
By format and by category sector, larger companies are taking increasing share and, over the past five years, this trend has accelerated.
Now, given the pressures of Covid, there is ample opportunity for stronger players to gain ground by buying out weaker ones, while some mid-level companies are joining together, hoping to become a fish too big to swallow.
Business tie-ups are also increasing in number, particularly as physical retailers seek to bring in and learn skills necessary to succeed in e-commerce and to build omnichannel models.
The following is a detailed review of how concentration has increased along with a map of who own who in retailing today.
There is a strong possibility that we could see some really big deals, even ones that span format and geographical borders, as many mid-sized retailers recognise that independent survival is getting hard. Acquirers will use the current environment to diversify into new areas, expand volumes and market share, or simply acquire more retail property for long-term development.

Japan’s retail and distribution sector has long been seen as fragmented, even to the point of being accused of inefficiency. On the surface, concentration levels do remain low, but scratch that surface and a very different picture emerges.
By format and by category sector, larger companies are taking increasing share and, over the past five years, this trend has accelerated.
Now, given the pressures of Covid, there is ample opportunity for stronger players to gain ground by buying out weaker ones, while some mid-level companies are joining together, hoping to become a fish too big to swallow.
Business tie-ups are also increasing in number, particularly as physical retailers seek to bring in and learn skills necessary to succeed in e-commerce and to build omnichannel models.
The following is a detailed review of how concentration has increased along with a map of who own who in retailing today.
There is a strong possibility that we could see some really big deals, even ones that span format and geographical borders, as many mid-sized retailers recognise that independent survival is getting hard. Acquirers will use the current environment to diversify into new areas, expand volumes and market share, or simply acquire more retail property for long-term development.

Who Owns Who: Concentration Levels Accelerate in Japan Retail, with More M&A to Come

Latest News from the World’s Leading Innovators

Granite Bay Capital

An innovation focussed investment company

Granite Bay Capital is an innovation focussed investment company with a deep focus on the companies at the leading edge of innovation across major themes such as AI, ubiquitous computing, sustainability, automation and longevity.

Headline Developments: Another week, another major cyber attack!  Last Friday, a global ransomware attack hit up to 1,500 companies in what is believed to be the biggest supply chain attack to date.  In the attack, American software company Kaseya was compromised, opening a door for hackers to spread ransomware to managed service providers that use it’s technology, and in turn their clients.

Headline Developments: Another week, another major cyber attack!  Last Friday, a global ransomware attack hit up to 1,500 companies in what is believed to be the biggest supply chain attack to date.  In the attack, American software company Kaseya was compromised, opening a door for hackers to spread ransomware to managed service providers that use it’s technology, and in turn their clients.

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zomato-media-pvt" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28820:1" rel="noopener">Zomato (ZOM IN)</a> is a leading food delivery platform in India. Zomato has two core business-to-customer (B2C) offerings which are Food delivery and Dining-out. It also has a business-to-business (B2B) offering called Hyperpure and Zomato Pro, the customer loyalty program which encompasses both food delivery and dining-out. Zomato’s key shareholders are <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/info-edge-india-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14461:1" rel="noopener">Info Edge India (INFOE IN)</a> (18.55% of outstanding shares), <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/uber-technologies-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:430:1" rel="noopener">Uber (UBER US)</a> (9.1%) and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ant-group-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24240:1" rel="noopener">Ant Financial Services Group (6688 HK)</a>.  Zomato is expected to launch its IPO on 19 July to raise up to Rs93.75 billion ($1.3 billion) with a primary/secondary split of 96%/4%, according to press reports. The selling shareholder is Info Edge. <div class="content-highlight">Zomato will be a landmark IPO in India as it the first large new economy technology platform to list. The food delivery market in India is attractive to the large addressable opportunity. While <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/amazon-com-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:409:1" rel="noopener">Amazon.com Inc (AMZN US)</a> entered the market last year, the food delivery market in India is effectively a duopoly between Zomato and Swiggy. Zomato claims to be larger but the key differentiator will be execution to drive growth with positive unit economics. On this front, Zomato has demonstrated a commendable track record. Overall, we think that Zomato's fundamentals are attractive. </div>

Zomato (ZOM IN) is a leading food delivery platform in India. Zomato has two core business-to-customer (B2C) offerings which are Food delivery and Dining-out. It also has a business-to-business (B2B) offering called Hyperpure and Zomato Pro, the customer loyalty program which encompasses both food delivery and dining-out. Zomato’s key shareholders are Info Edge India (INFOE IN) (18.55% of outstanding shares), Uber (UBER US) (9.1%) and Ant Financial Services Group (6688 HK).  Zomato is expected to launch its IPO on 19 July to raise up to Rs93.75 billion ($1.3 billion) with a primary/secondary split of 96%/4%, according to press reports. The selling shareholder is Info Edge. Zomato will be a landmark IPO in India as it the first large new economy technology platform to list. The food delivery market in India is attractive to the large addressable opportunity. While Amazon.com Inc (AMZN US) entered the market last year, the food delivery market in India is effectively a duopoly between Zomato and Swiggy. Zomato claims to be larger but the key differentiator will be execution to drive growth with positive unit economics. On this front, Zomato has demonstrated a commendable track record. Overall, we think that Zomato's fundamentals are attractive. 

Zomato IPO Initiation: Emerging Appetites

Quality-first, Business-perspective Strategy, Urbem (HK) Limited

Steven Chen

Quality-first, Business-perspective Strategy

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>My long-time audience may have learned my lack of interest in the internet sector when it comes to equity investing;</li>
<li>But <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kaspi-kz-jsc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33382:1" rel="noopener">Kaspi.KZ JSC (KSPI LI)</a> can be an exception thanks to its superior quality;</li>
<li>The valuation of the share does not seem cheap but is by no means unfair given the rapidly-developing addressable market, multi-cylinder growth engine, sustainable competitive advantage, and owner-leadership.</li>
</ul>


My long-time audience may have learned my lack of interest in the internet sector when it comes to equity investing;
But Kaspi.KZ JSC (KSPI LI) can be an exception thanks to its superior quality;
The valuation of the share does not seem cheap but is by no means unfair given the rapidly-developing addressable market, multi-cylinder growth engine, sustainable competitive advantage, and owner-leadership.


United States

Amazon.com, Inc. is an online retailer that offers a wide range of products. The Company's products include books, music, videotapes, computers, electronics, home and garden, and numerous other products.  Amazon offers personalized shopping services, Web-based credit card payment, and direct shipping to customers.

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Amazon (AMZN US)

Zomato IPO: Floating High Above Sector Reality. Not a Linear Play on India's Rising EComm User Base

IPO valuations ignore that the growth outlook for the online food delivery sector in India is not as robust as online consumer retail. Projections...

Devi Subhakesan

Who Owns Who: Concentration Levels Accelerate in Japan Retail, with More M&A to Come

Japanese retail is in the process of extensive concentration and market consolidation through M&A, organic expansion and tie-ups. Numerous...

Michael Causton

Weekly Innovation Review (WIRE) #39

Headline Developments: Another week, another major cyber attack! Last Friday, a global ransomware attack hit up to 1,500 companies

Granite Bay Capital

Zomato IPO Initiation: Emerging Appetites

Zomato is expected to launch its IPO on 19 July to raise up to Rs93.75 billion ($1.3 billion). Overall, we think that Zomato's fundamentals are...

Arun George

Kaspi.kz - A Superior-Quality Trio

Kaspi.kz is an exceptional "Super App" business winning sustainably in all three verticals where it operates in a rapidly-developing but often...

Steven Chen

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