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.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/brambles-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:693:1" rel="noopener">Brambles Ltd (BXB AU)</a> responded to press speculation by stating it had preliminary discussions with CVC Capital on a privatisation proposal. The shares rose 11.2% to close at A$11.60.</li>
<li>The AFR’s rumour of “a bid valuing Brambles at more than $20 billion, including debt” would imply an offer price around A$11.50, a 10% premium to the undisturbed price.</li>
<li>As the Australian takeover premium ranges from 20% to 40%, we think that a bid of around A$13 per share (25% takeover premium) will be necessary for due diligence access.</li>
</ul>



Brambles Ltd (BXB AU) responded to press speculation by stating it had preliminary discussions with CVC Capital on a privatisation proposal. The shares rose 11.2% to close at A$11.60.
The AFR’s rumour of “a bid valuing Brambles at more than $20 billion, including debt” would imply an offer price around A$11.50, a 10% premium to the undisturbed price.
As the Australian takeover premium ranges from 20% to 40%, we think that a bid of around A$13 per share (25% takeover premium) will be necessary for due diligence access.


Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

Equity Capital Markets

Costco Wholesale / Equity Capital Markets

<ul><li>Costco has delivered an outstanding result with a rise in net sales over the year.</li><li>Interestingly, Costco has an increased penetration of executive members who renew at a rate higher than non-executive members.</li><li>Despite the increasing and ongoing inflationary pressures, the company has maintained gross margins well on account of price increases.</li></ul>

Costco has delivered an outstanding result with a rise in net sales over the year.Interestingly, Costco has an increased penetration of executive members who renew at a rate higher than non-executive members.Despite the increasing and ongoing inflationary pressures, the company has maintained gross margins well on account of price increases.

Costco Wholesale Corp.: Financial & Price Forecasts

<ul><li>Costco has been on a roll as the company had an outstanding month of September with net sales of $19.5 billion for the 5-week period ended October 3, 2021, up 15.8% year over year.</li><li>This comes after a strong fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 where Costco reported an increase in net sales of 17.5% to $61.44 billion.</li><li>It is looking to battle inflation by increasing some of the product pricing and should also increase membership pricing in 2022.</li></ul>

Costco has been on a roll as the company had an outstanding month of September with net sales of $19.5 billion for the 5-week period ended October 3, 2021, up 15.8% year over year.This comes after a strong fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 where Costco reported an increase in net sales of 17.5% to $61.44 billion.It is looking to battle inflation by increasing some of the product pricing and should also increase membership pricing in 2022.

Costco Wholesale Corporation - Investment Thesis

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. 

Equity Bottom-Up

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/metro-ag" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21673:1" rel="noopener">METRO AG (MEO GR)</a> will close its Japan operations at the end of October. It follows <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/carrefour-sa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21409:1" rel="noopener">Carrefour SA (CA FP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tesco-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22187:1" rel="noopener">Tesco PLC (TSCO LN)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/walmart-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11134:1" rel="noopener">Walmart (WMT US)</a> as the latest major international player to try and fail in the Japanese market and leaves Costco as the only international chain retailer – but a clearly successful one at least.

METRO AG (MEO GR) will close its Japan operations at the end of October. It follows Carrefour SA (CA FP), Tesco PLC (TSCO LN) and Walmart (WMT US) as the latest major international player to try and fail in the Japanese market and leaves Costco as the only international chain retailer – but a clearly successful one at least. 

Walmart’s 18-year attempt to build a business in Japan ended last month when the US retailer announced it would sell 85% of its stake in Seiyu to KKR and Rakuten.Seiyu has been transformed under Walmart’s leadership although it is much smaller than when Walmart arrived.Now, with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kkr-co-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27333:1" rel="noopener">KKR &amp; Co Inc (KKR US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rakuten-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31:1" rel="noopener">Rakuten Inc (4755 JP)</a> taking over, the hope is Seiyu could re-emerge as a leader in food e-commerce under Rakuten.The Seiyu chain could transform Rakuten’s logistics capability, allowing it to offer a comprehensive click &amp; collect service as well as use redundant store space for dark store fulfilment.What the new partners cannot afford to do is dither. Japan may well have room for more than one major online food retailer but just a couple of leaders will command the lion’s share.  <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>’s partnership with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/life-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1743:1" rel="noopener">Life Corp (8194 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/z-holdings-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19603:1" rel="noopener">Z Holdings (4689 JP)</a>’s Lohaco, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/oisix-ra-daichi-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10145:1" rel="noopener">Oisix ra daichi (3182 JP)</a>, and, at some point, <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><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ocado-group-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22067:1" rel="noopener">Ocado Group PLC (OCDO LN)</a> are the ones to beat.Already the deal is causing a significant upset in supermarket and GMS retailing.

Walmart’s 18-year attempt to build a business in Japan ended last month when the US retailer announced it would sell 85% of its stake in Seiyu to KKR and Rakuten.Seiyu has been transformed under Walmart’s leadership although it is much smaller than when Walmart arrived.Now, with KKR &amp; Co Inc (KKR US) and Rakuten Inc (4755 JP) taking over, the hope is Seiyu could re-emerge as a leader in food e-commerce under Rakuten.The Seiyu chain could transform Rakuten’s logistics capability, allowing it to offer a comprehensive click &amp; collect service as well as use redundant store space for dark store fulfilment.What the new partners cannot afford to do is dither. Japan may well have room for more than one major online food retailer but just a couple of leaders will command the lion’s share.  Amazon.com Inc (AMZN US)’s partnership with Life Corp (8194 JP), Z Holdings (4689 JP)’s Lohaco, Oisix ra daichi (3182 JP), and, at some point, Aeon Co Ltd (8267 JP)/Ocado Group PLC (OCDO LN) are the ones to beat.Already the deal is causing a significant upset in supermarket and GMS retailing.

KKR & Rakuten Ignite Online Food Battle with Seiyu Purchase

United States

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates wholesale membership warehouses in multiple countries.  The Company sells all kinds of food, automotive supplies, toys, hardware, sporting goods, jewelry, electronics, apparel, health and beauty aids, as well as other goods.

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Costco Wholesale (COST US)

CVC to Lob an Offer for Brambles?

Shares closed 11.2% higher at A$11.60. As the Australian takeover premium ranges from 20% to 40%, a bid of around A$13 per share (25% takeover...

Arun George

Costco Wholesale Corp.: Financial & Price Forecasts

Costco has delivered an outstanding result with a rise in net sales over the year. Interestingly, Costco has an increased penetration of executive...

Baptista Research

Costco Wholesale Corporation - Investment Thesis

Costco has been on a roll as the company had an outstanding month of September with net sales of $19.5 billion for the 5-week period ended October...

Baptista Research

Metro Cash and Carry to Exit Japan

One of the few foreign players in Japan's food market has confirmed it will quit the market. Only Costco remains although Amazon is expanding its...

Michael Causton

KKR & Rakuten Ignite Online Food Battle with Seiyu Purchase

E-commerce has less than 3% share of Japanese food retailing. This will change dramatically in the next 3 years, led by Amazon but also by Rakuten...

Michael Causton

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