Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Over the weekend there was an article in the Nikkei saying that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tsuruha-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9536:1" rel="noopener">Tsuruha Holdings (3391 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/welcia-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20895:1" rel="noopener">Welcia Holdings (3141 JP)</a> were considering a merger. Other media outlets followed.</li>
<li>This has been a possible outcome. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aeon-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3:1" rel="noopener">Aeon Co Ltd (8267 JP)</a> owns 51% of Welcia, 13.6% in Tsuruha, and is negotiating to buy another 13% in Tsuruha from Oasis.</li>
<li>This would create a behemoth. ¥2.2trln in revenues vs ¥1trln for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/matsukiyococokara-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2259:1" rel="noopener">MatsukiyoCocokara (3088 JP)</a>. It would be 25% of the market. Questions will be asked about concentration. </li>
</ul>


Over the weekend there was an article in the Nikkei saying that Tsuruha Holdings (3391 JP) and Welcia Holdings (3141 JP) were considering a merger. Other media outlets followed.
This has been a possible outcome. Aeon Co Ltd (8267 JP) owns 51% of Welcia, 13.6% in Tsuruha, and is negotiating to buy another 13% in Tsuruha from Oasis.
This would create a behemoth. ¥2.2trln in revenues vs ¥1trln for MatsukiyoCocokara (3088 JP). It would be 25% of the market. Questions will be asked about concentration. 


Tsuruha (3391) And Welcia (3141) - Aeon Tsuruha Stake Buy Followed by Merger?

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trial-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36821:1" rel="noopener">Trial Holdings (5882 JP)</a> (TH) is now looking to raise around US$234m in its Japan IPO, after having canceled its prior listing attempt last year.</li>
<li>TH operates a network of retail stores that offer one-stop shopping under its everyday low price model, across a variety of daily necessities, food items and other products.</li>
<li>We have looked at the company’s past performance in our previous notes. In this note, we provide our updated thoughts on valuation.</li>
</ul>



Trial Holdings (5882 JP) (TH) is now looking to raise around US$234m in its Japan IPO, after having canceled its prior listing attempt last year.
TH operates a network of retail stores that offer one-stop shopping under its everyday low price model, across a variety of daily necessities, food items and other products.
We have looked at the company’s past performance in our previous notes. In this note, we provide our updated thoughts on valuation.


Trial Holdings Pre-IPO - Updated Peer Comparison and Valuation

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. 

<ul>
<li>A lot has been said and written about Trial's IPO but much of this relates to pass performance and comparing it to supermarkets.</li>
<li>As the company's latest Trial Go store in Fukuoka shows,  Trial is a tech-based retailer and a true discounter, and discounting is where the growth is in Japanese FMCG.</li>
<li>Trial thinks its technology can reduce costs significantly, improving margins while allowing it to roll out more small format stores to compete with convenience stores. It may be right.</li>
</ul>


A lot has been said and written about Trial's IPO but much of this relates to pass performance and comparing it to supermarkets.
As the company's latest Trial Go store in Fukuoka shows,  Trial is a tech-based retailer and a true discounter, and discounting is where the growth is in Japanese FMCG.
Trial thinks its technology can reduce costs significantly, improving margins while allowing it to roll out more small format stores to compete with convenience stores. It may be right.


Trial IPO to Drive Tech Innovation Targeting Convenience Stores

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>As outlined in previous reports, Aeon has been working hard to streamline its vast retail empire but also rethinking the fundamentals of retailing for each major format it operates.</li>
<li>The results are now coming through with a big increase in operating profits in 1H2023, up 23% on last year.</li>
<li>There is real momentum now, and the new online supermarket business is central to its ambitions to create the first true national FMCG business.</li>
</ul>


As outlined in previous reports, Aeon has been working hard to streamline its vast retail empire but also rethinking the fundamentals of retailing for each major format it operates.
The results are now coming through with a big increase in operating profits in 1H2023, up 23% on last year.
There is real momentum now, and the new online supermarket business is central to its ambitions to create the first true national FMCG business.


Aeon Keeps Working After High Profit Growth

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/welcia-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20895:1" rel="noopener">Welcia Holdings (3141 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tsuruha-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9536:1" rel="noopener">Tsuruha Holdings (3391 JP)</a>, the country’s leading drugstore chains, are both looking to expand quickly in Kyushu after only entering the market recently. </li>
<li>This won’t be easy. Kyushu is full of discount retailers led by one of the best discounters, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cosmos-pharmaceutical-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3797:1" rel="noopener">Cosmos Pharmaceutical (3349 JP)</a>, which is also a leading drugstore chain.</li>
<li>But building a significant market share in the Kyushu market is crucial to competing nationally with these emerging discount leaders.</li>
</ul>



Welcia Holdings (3141 JP) and Tsuruha Holdings (3391 JP), the country’s leading drugstore chains, are both looking to expand quickly in Kyushu after only entering the market recently. 
This won’t be easy. Kyushu is full of discount retailers led by one of the best discounters, Cosmos Pharmaceutical (3349 JP), which is also a leading drugstore chain.
But building a significant market share in the Kyushu market is crucial to competing nationally with these emerging discount leaders.


Japan

COSMOS Pharmaceutical Corporation operates drug stores based in Kyushu. The Company sells daily necessities such as drug medicines, foodstuffs, and alcoholic beverages.

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Cosmos Pharmaceutical (3349 JP)

Tsuruha (3391) And Welcia (3141) - Aeon Tsuruha Stake Buy Followed by Merger?

Over the weekend we have news suggesting Aeon is pushing Tsuruha and Welcia towards a merger after buying Oasis' Tsuruha stake. Both stocks are up....

Travis Lundy

Trial Holdings Pre-IPO - Updated Peer Comparison and Valuation

Trial Holdings (5882 JP) (TH) is now looking to raise around US$234m in its Japan IPO, after having canceled its prior listing attempt last year....

Sumeet Singh

Trial IPO to Drive Tech Innovation Targeting Convenience Stores

Trial failed to complete an IPO and is now going again and the same fundamentals outlined in this insight apply today as it is a long-term viewpoint.

Michael Causton

Aeon Keeps Working After High Profit Growth

Aeon's efforts to revamp its retail empire and rethink strategies are paying off, with a 23% rise in OP in 1H2023. A new online store is key to...

Michael Causton

Welcia Challenges Cosmos in Kyushu

Kyushu has become a hotbed of retail competition, especially in discount and drugstores. Aeon is determined to undermine the local champions,...

Michael Causton

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Tsuruha (3391) And Welcia (3141) - Aeon Tsuruha Stake Buy Followed by Merger?

Over the weekend we have news suggesting Aeon is pushing Tsuruha and Welcia towards a merger after buying Oasis' Tsuruha stake. Both stocks are up....

Travis Lundy

Trial Holdings Pre-IPO - Updated Peer Comparison and Valuation

Trial Holdings (5882 JP) (TH) is now looking to raise around US$234m in its Japan IPO, after having canceled its prior listing attempt last year....

Sumeet Singh

Trial IPO to Drive Tech Innovation Targeting Convenience Stores

Trial failed to complete an IPO and is now going again and the same fundamentals outlined in this insight apply today as it is a long-term viewpoint.

Michael Causton

Aeon Keeps Working After High Profit Growth

​Aeon's efforts to revamp its retail empire and rethink strategies are paying off, with a 23% rise in OP in 1H2023. A new online store is key to...

Michael Causton

Welcia Challenges Cosmos in Kyushu

Kyushu has become a hotbed of retail competition, especially in discount and drugstores. Aeon is determined to undermine the local champions,...

Michael Causton

Aeon's efforts to revamp its retail empire and rethink strategies are paying off, with a 23% rise in OP in 1H2023. A new online store is key to...