Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Today, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dai-ichi-life-insurance" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1109:1" rel="noopener">Dai Ichi Life Insurance (8750 JP)</a>  announced a proposed counter/over-bid for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/benefit-one-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14502:1" rel="noopener">Benefit One Inc (2412 JP)</a>. ¥1800/share for minorities and a better (undefined) outcome for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pasona-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15778:1" rel="noopener">Pasona Group (2168 JP)</a>. </li>
<li>This throws the cat amongst the pigeons as it is unsolicited, for 100% not just to get Pasona's stake, and it will require Benefit One recommend or not.</li>
<li>For Pasona, this deal structure would likely increase the net result from the stake sale, possibly substantially so. It's in the details. </li>
</ul>


Today, Dai Ichi Life Insurance (8750 JP)  announced a proposed counter/over-bid for Benefit One Inc (2412 JP). ¥1800/share for minorities and a better (undefined) outcome for Pasona Group (2168 JP). 
This throws the cat amongst the pigeons as it is unsolicited, for 100% not just to get Pasona's stake, and it will require Benefit One recommend or not.
For Pasona, this deal structure would likely increase the net result from the stake sale, possibly substantially so. It's in the details. 


New Deal for Benefit One (2168) Could Mean Lots More Money for Pasona (2168)

<ul>
<li>As discussed <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/big-m3-2413-partial-tob-as-pasona-sells-control-of-benefit-one-2412-really-interesting-dynamics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> in a piece about the Partial Tender Offer<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/big-m3-2413-partial-tob-as-pasona-sells-control-of-benefit-one-2412-really-interesting-dynamics" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:117493" rel="noopener"></a>, Pasona Group (2168) has agreed to sell its controlling stake in Benefit One (2412) to M3 (2413).</li>
<li>That will leave Pasona Group with a fair chunk of cash and possibly a residual stake in Benefit One, depending on the results.</li>
<li>Though we don't know what the future holds, Pasona now is the wrong price for its future. </li>
</ul>


As discussed here in a piece about the Partial Tender Offer, Pasona Group (2168) has agreed to sell its controlling stake in Benefit One (2412) to M3 (2413).
That will leave Pasona Group with a fair chunk of cash and possibly a residual stake in Benefit One, depending on the results.
Though we don't know what the future holds, Pasona now is the wrong price for its future. 


David Blennerhassett

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dai-ichi-life-insurance" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1109:1" rel="noopener">Dai Ichi (8750 JP)</a> agreed with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pasona-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15778:1" rel="noopener">Pasona (2168 JP)</a> for Pasona to sell its shares back to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/benefit-one-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14502:1" rel="noopener">Benefit One (2412 JP)</a> in a buyback after Dai-Ichi's Tender Offer for Benefit.</li>
<li>This process gives Pasona a tax advantage versus selling into a Tender Offer at the same price.</li>
<li>What does Pasona take home? ~¥2,822/share versus its last price of ¥2,733/share. Then you have stubs ops (conservatively worth up to ~¥1,960/share) and Pasona's stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bewith-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:35846:1" rel="noopener">Bewith (9216 JP)</a> (~¥360/share).</li>
</ul>



Dai Ichi (8750 JP) agreed with Pasona (2168 JP) for Pasona to sell its shares back to Benefit One (2412 JP) in a buyback after Dai-Ichi's Tender Offer for Benefit.
This process gives Pasona a tax advantage versus selling into a Tender Offer at the same price.
What does Pasona take home? ~¥2,822/share versus its last price of ¥2,733/share. Then you have stubs ops (conservatively worth up to ~¥1,960/share) and Pasona's stake in Bewith (9216 JP) (~¥360/share).


Equity Analyst, Event-driven, Quiddity Advisors

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Equity Analyst, Event-driven

<ul>
<li>Some low liquidity stocks in the TOPIX Index carry a liquidity factor of 0.75x resulting in their actual index weights being smaller than their default weights.</li>
<li>These names are reviewed every April and if the liquidity factor of a stock gets removed, the stock will enjoy buying flows from passive trackers of TOPIX.</li>
<li>In this insight, we take a look at Quiddity's final predictions for the names that are likely to see their Liquidity Factors removed in April 2023.</li>
</ul>


Some low liquidity stocks in the TOPIX Index carry a liquidity factor of 0.75x resulting in their actual index weights being smaller than their default weights.
These names are reviewed every April and if the liquidity factor of a stock gets removed, the stock will enjoy buying flows from passive trackers of TOPIX.
In this insight, we take a look at Quiddity's final predictions for the names that are likely to see their Liquidity Factors removed in April 2023.


TOPIX Index Upweights: Final Predictions for The "The Big April Basket” 2023

<ul>
<li>Apparently Elliott is requesting <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mitsui-fudosan-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:565:1" rel="noopener">Mitsui Fudosan (8801 JP)</a> conduct a very large buyback and to sell down its stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/oriental-land-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13517:1" rel="noopener">Oriental Land (4661 JP)</a>.</li>
<li>Some 17 months after the Cheng Family failed to secure 50%+ of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/giordano-international-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13899:1" rel="noopener">Giordano International (709 HK)</a>, the family are now calling an SGM to install friendly directors.</li>
<li>The<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lawson-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1040:1" rel="noopener">Lawson (2651 JP)</a> deal is not terribly surprising. It's not terribly surprising that it is being done cheaply. It IS being done too cheaply. This is bumpable by force. </li>
</ul>


Apparently Elliott is requesting Mitsui Fudosan (8801 JP) conduct a very large buyback and to sell down its stake in Oriental Land (4661 JP).
Some 17 months after the Cheng Family failed to secure 50%+ of Giordano International (709 HK), the family are now calling an SGM to install friendly directors.
TheLawson (2651 JP) deal is not terribly surprising. It's not terribly surprising that it is being done cheaply. It IS being done too cheaply. This is bumpable by force. 


Last Week in Event SPACE: Mitsui Fudosan/Oriental Land, Giordano, JSR, Pasona, Lawson, L'Occitane

Japan

Bewith,Inc. provides contact center and and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. The Company also offers various artificial intelligence, digital transformation solutions, application and platform, and related consulting services. Bewith conducts businesses in Japan.

Bewith (9216 JP)

New Deal for Benefit One (2168) Could Mean Lots More Money for Pasona (2168)

Dai-Ichi Life proposed a full takeout of Benefit One which would lead to a different structured sale by Pasona. The structure of that sale would...

Travis Lundy

Pasona: The Wrong Price

Pasona is now trading ~65% of post-tender net after-tax cash+securities. Maybe cheaper. Pasona ex-Benefit One/ex-Bewith is guided to lose money...

Travis Lundy

Get Your Pasona (2168 JP) Rump For Free

Pasona (2168 JP) said that 10-20% of the total extraordinary gain from the sale of Benefit One Inc (2412 JP) Is to be paid out as a special...

David Blennerhassett

TOPIX Index Upweights: Final Predictions for The "The Big April Basket” 2023

This insight (from Feb 2023) discusses the annual TOPIX Liquidity Factor (LF) removal event (which we call the "Big April Basket"). It might be a...

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Last Week in Event SPACE: Mitsui Fudosan/Oriental Land, Giordano, JSR, Pasona, Lawson, L'Occitane

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed...

David Blennerhassett