Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Shifara Samsudeen, FCMA, CGMA

Equity Analyst

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

Event-Driven

<p>The Nikkei reported on Monday (08<sup>th</sup> March 2021) that the Japanese electronics maker <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/panasonic-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:222:1" rel="noopener">Panasonic Corp (6752 JP)</a>  is set to acquire Blue Yonder, a leader in the US supply chain software market for JPY700bn (approx. US$6.5bn). Blue Yonder is mainly focused on supply chain management and Panasonic in May 2020 bought a 20% stake in the former for about JPY86bn.</p><p>Panasonic is said to be in the final stages of purchasing the rest of Blue Yonder’s shares from its other shareholders that include Blackstone Group and New Mountain Capital. If completed, the deal would mark Panasonic’s largest M&amp;A since 2011 where it spent JPY800bn on making Sanyo Electric and Panasonic Electric Works wholly owned subsidiaries.</p>

The Nikkei reported on Monday (08th March 2021) that the Japanese electronics maker Panasonic Corp (6752 JP)  is set to acquire Blue Yonder, a leader in the US supply chain software market for JPY700bn (approx. US$6.5bn). Blue Yonder is mainly focused on supply chain management and Panasonic in May 2020 bought a 20% stake in the former for about JPY86bn.Panasonic is said to be in the final stages of purchasing the rest of Blue Yonder’s shares from its other shareholders that include Blackstone Group and New Mountain Capital. If completed, the deal would mark Panasonic’s largest M&amp;A since 2011 where it spent JPY800bn on making Sanyo Electric and Panasonic Electric Works wholly owned subsidiaries.

Panasonic in Talks to Buy Blue Yonder; Supply Chain Management Likely to Be a Key Growth Driver

TMT & Consumer Independent Equity Research Analyst, Obex Capital Research

Aaron Gabin

TMT & Consumer Independent Equity Research Analyst

TMT & Consumer Independent Equity Research

Obex Capital Research

“Obex” is Latin for Barriers to Entry. Obex Capital Management’s investment philosophy is driven by an intense focus on which business model’s Barriers to Entry are able to withstand the ever increasing competitive disruption in the TMT and Consumer Sectors.

Equity Bottom-Up

<p>As a reminder, we advocated buying Coupa around the bottom back in early April as it was a good entry point for a permanently expensive Adobe/ServiceNow like compounder (15x back then). We decided to step to the sidelines last quarter as the company didn’t offer much new disclosures around Pay and an oddly conservative guidance for this quarter….which not so shockingly they blew out. This quarters’ guidance for 4Q21 is equally conservative, and if you strip out its Llamasoft acquisition, you get the same sandbagged guidance as last quarter.</p><div class="content-highlight"><p>Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.</p></div>

As a reminder, we advocated buying Coupa around the bottom back in early April as it was a good entry point for a permanently expensive Adobe/ServiceNow like compounder (15x back then). We decided to step to the sidelines last quarter as the company didn’t offer much new disclosures around Pay and an oddly conservative guidance for this quarter….which not so shockingly they blew out. This quarters’ guidance for 4Q21 is equally conservative, and if you strip out its Llamasoft acquisition, you get the same sandbagged guidance as last quarter.Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.

Coupa 3Q21 Earnings: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Japan Specialist

Mark Chadwick

<p><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rakus-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29200:1" rel="noopener">Rakus Co Ltd (3923 JP)</a>  operates a cloud-based Business Spend Management (BSM) service that helps companies and employees efficiently track and settle expenses. The expense management software, </span><em><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">Raku </span><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">Raku</span><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"> Seisan</span></em><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto">, helps enterprises to enhance productivity, compliance, and control overspending. <br><br>The recent quarterly results confirm that top line growth continues unabated. Given the market for BSM is potentially huge in Japan and currently underpenetrated, Rakus should continue to see a strong growth trajectory in the foreseeable future. </span> </p><p>This note looks at the strong Q2 results, while the following note looks at the Market, Moat and Management: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/small-cap-growth-rakus-3923-sayonara-manual-expenses" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:44162" rel="noopener">Small Cap Growth: Rakus (3923) - Sayonara Manual Expenses!</a> </p>

Rakus Co Ltd (3923 JP)  operates a cloud-based Business Spend Management (BSM) service that helps companies and employees efficiently track and settle expenses. The expense management software, Raku Raku Seisan, helps enterprises to enhance productivity, compliance, and control overspending.   The recent quarterly results confirm that top line growth continues unabated. Given the market for BSM is potentially huge in Japan and currently underpenetrated, Rakus should continue to see a strong growth trajectory in the foreseeable future.  This note looks at the strong Q2 results, while the following note looks at the Market, Moat and Management: Small Cap Growth: Rakus (3923) - Sayonara Manual Expenses! 

Small Cap Growth: Rakus (3923) - Q2 Sales +28%

Equity Capital Markets

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<p>We've looked into many IPOs over the last 20 years, and think Snowflake is one of the better ones we've come across. Its architectural competitive advantages vs. legacy data warehouse providers are simply insurmountable, and while the cloud platforms loom as eventual rivals, we think this management team knows how to carve out a defensible place amongst the cloud titans.</p>
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<p>Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.</p>
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We've looked into many IPOs over the last 20 years, and think Snowflake is one of the better ones we've come across. Its architectural competitive advantages vs. legacy data warehouse providers are simply insurmountable, and while the cloud platforms loom as eventual rivals, we think this management team knows how to carve out a defensible place amongst the cloud titans.




Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.




<p>We have been pitching Coupa as a long since the March bottom, and have been blown away by the surge in its stock and multiple...it went from 15x forward sales to 25x last quarter and stands at 35x forward sales today. <span>A lack of disclosure around Coupa Pay progress and a potentially "conservative" 3Q21 billings guidance says to us its time to move to the sidelines on Coupa and await a better re-entry point</span>. </p><p></p><div class="content-highlight"><p>Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.</p></div>

We have been pitching Coupa as a long since the March bottom, and have been blown away by the surge in its stock and multiple...it went from 15x forward sales to 25x last quarter and stands at 35x forward sales today. A lack of disclosure around Coupa Pay progress and a potentially "conservative" 3Q21 billings guidance says to us its time to move to the sidelines on Coupa and await a better re-entry point. Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in the TMT and Consumer sectors. We seek to differentiate between fundamental business analysis and security analysis. Before deciding if a security’s pricing and positioning merit a long or short position, we analyze the four pillars of business fundamentals (Secular Factors, TAM, Competitive Advantage, Business Model) in order to determine if this is a “good” or “not so good” opportunity.

United States

Coupa Software Incorporated designs and develops software solutions. The Company offers procurement and expense management software to engineering, government, education, health care, retail, and staffing industries. Coupa Software serves customers around the world.

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Coupa Software (COUP US)

Panasonic in Talks to Buy Blue Yonder; Supply Chain Management Likely to Be a Key Growth Driver

The acquisition of Blue Yonder should help Panasonic transform away from its hardware business into a recurring revenue mode such as its consumer...

Shifara Samsudeen, FCMA, CGMA

Coupa 3Q21 Earnings: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

A great quarter vs. a overly conservative guide...and another overly conservative guide. We are long biased but at 40x forward sales for 11%...

Aaron Gabin

Small Cap Growth: Rakus (3923) - Q2 Sales +28%

Rakus helps Japanese firms and employees to track and settle expenses. Focused on smaller companies, there is a huge TAM which is under penetrated....

Mark Chadwick

Snowflake: Making It Rain

We've looked into many IPOs over the last 20 years, and think Our investment philosophy attracts us to investing behind THE major secular trend in...

Aaron Gabin

Coupa 2Q21: P/S Multiples Are Coup-Ed Up

We have been pitching Coupa as a long since the March bottom, and have been Obex’s fundamental research process is focused on secular change in...

Aaron Gabin

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