Technology / Semiconductor / Internet Research

Nicolas Baratte

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>DISCO Mar-25 results beat Consensus by ~12%. Jun-25 guidance is very weak but DISCO always under-guides egregiously. But it’s weak.</li>
<li>Consensus has revised down its Jun-25 revenue forecast from 12% YoY growth to 6% but left Sept-Dec-25 unchanged at ~10% YoY growth. The odds are that Consensus is too high.</li>
<li>The stock is down -39% since end Dec-24 but still trading at 20x EPS in the face of downside risks to Consensus. Not appealing.</li>
</ul>


DISCO Mar-25 results beat Consensus by ~12%. Jun-25 guidance is very weak but DISCO always under-guides egregiously. But it’s weak.
Consensus has revised down its Jun-25 revenue forecast from 12% YoY growth to 6% but left Sept-Dec-25 unchanged at ~10% YoY growth. The odds are that Consensus is too high.
The stock is down -39% since end Dec-24 but still trading at 20x EPS in the face of downside risks to Consensus. Not appealing.


DISCO: Growth Is Slowing Down, the Stock Is Still Expensive

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kokusai-electric-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:40152:1" rel="noopener">Kokusai Electric (6525 JP)</a> could price their secondary offering after market close today. The stock is down 10.5% since the rumors of the placement began 7 trading sessions ago.</li>
<li>The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/philadelphia-stock-exchange-semiconductor-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32992:1" rel="noopener">Philadelphia Stock Exchange Semiconductor Index (SOX INDEX)</a> has been dropping over the last few days and is 8.6% lower over the last 8 trading days.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kokusai-electric-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:40152:1" rel="noopener">Kokusai Electric (6525 JP)</a> has been trading higher on expectations of index inclusion in August, but that could move to November now.</li>
</ul>



Kokusai Electric (6525 JP) could price their secondary offering after market close today. The stock is down 10.5% since the rumors of the placement began 7 trading sessions ago.
The Philadelphia Stock Exchange Semiconductor Index (SOX INDEX) has been dropping over the last few days and is 8.6% lower over the last 8 trading days.

Kokusai Electric (6525 JP) has been trading higher on expectations of index inclusion in August, but that could move to November now.


Kokusai Electric (6525 JP): Placement Price Could Be Determined Today; Index Impact Could Be Delayed

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/disco-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15817:1" rel="noopener">DISCO (6146 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/socionext-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36351:1" rel="noopener">Socionext (6526 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zozo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18379:1" rel="noopener">ZOZO (3092 JP)</a> will replace <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/takara-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11074:1" rel="noopener">Takara Holdings (2531 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sumitomo-osaka-cement-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20460:1" rel="noopener">Sumitomo Osaka Cement (5232 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pacific-metals-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3439:1" rel="noopener">Pacific Metals (5541 JP)</a> in the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikkei-225" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22909:1" rel="noopener">Nikkei 225</a>.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nitori-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20386:1" rel="noopener">Nitori Holdings (9843 JP)</a>'s PAF will increase from 0.3 to 0.5, and surprisingly there is no PAF adjustment for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zozo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18379:1" rel="noopener">ZOZO Inc (3092 JP)</a>. </li>
<li>Passive trackers need to buy between 1-18 days of ADV on the adds while selling between 2.7-28 days of ADV on the deletes. There is a big funding trade too.</li>
</ul>



DISCO (6146 JP), Socionext (6526 JP) and ZOZO (3092 JP) will replace Takara Holdings (2531 JP), Sumitomo Osaka Cement (5232 JP) and Pacific Metals (5541 JP) in the Nikkei 225.

Nitori Holdings (9843 JP)'s PAF will increase from 0.3 to 0.5, and surprisingly there is no PAF adjustment for ZOZO Inc (3092 JP). 
Passive trackers need to buy between 1-18 days of ADV on the adds while selling between 2.7-28 days of ADV on the deletes. There is a big funding trade too.


Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance: DISCO, Socionext, ZOZO In; PacMetals, Sumitomo Osaka, Takara Holding Out

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zozo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18379:1" rel="noopener">ZOZO Inc (3092 JP)</a> is +10% since the close <em>after</em> the Nikkei 225 inclusion announcement vs Nikkei225 +2%. Fellow upweight Nitori is up too. Disco and Socionext are up less.</li>
<li>All three inclusions and one upweight see considerable inclusion demand when compared to active holdings. Some more than others. </li>
<li>Some trades here are more interesting than others, still. Cumulative excess volumes are one guide. Fundamentals, and flow dynamics are another.</li>
</ul>



ZOZO Inc (3092 JP) is +10% since the close after the Nikkei 225 inclusion announcement vs Nikkei225 +2%. Fellow upweight Nitori is up too. Disco and Socionext are up less.
All three inclusions and one upweight see considerable inclusion demand when compared to active holdings. Some more than others. 
Some trades here are more interesting than others, still. Cumulative excess volumes are one guide. Fundamentals, and flow dynamics are another.


Mar24 Nikkei 225 Rebal: Zozo (3092) And Other ADDs Update

<ul>
<li>Every year it's the same trade. This year it is Wednesday and Thursday. There are risks to the analysis - notably allocation.</li>
<li>But there may be ¥1.0-1.2trln+ to buy on one day into the close later this month, then ad hoc buys of ¥630bn and index sells of ~¥600bn  2 days later.</li>
<li>Over the past ten years, the two day return on the March trade is great. This year the Nikkei funding trade makes things more complicated. </li>
</ul>


Every year it's the same trade. This year it is Wednesday and Thursday. There are risks to the analysis - notably allocation.
But there may be ¥1.0-1.2trln+ to buy on one day into the close later this month, then ad hoc buys of ¥630bn and index sells of ~¥600bn  2 days later.
Over the past ten years, the two day return on the March trade is great. This year the Nikkei funding trade makes things more complicated. 


The Bigly March 2024 "Wednesday-Friday Trade" (Surprising Flows)

Japan

DISCO CORPORATION manufactures abrasive and precision industrial machinery for cutting and grinding purposes.  The Company's products are applied in the semiconductor, electronics, and construction industries to produce consumer goods such as personal computers, digital cameras, video game systems, and Digital Video Disc (DVD) players.

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DISCO Corp (6146 JP)

DISCO: Growth Is Slowing Down, the Stock Is Still Expensive

DISCO beats Mar-25 Consensus but weak Jun-25 guidance. Consensus too high on revenue forecasts. Stock down -39% but still overvalued at 20x EPS.

Nicolas Baratte

Kokusai Electric (6525 JP): Placement Price Could Be Determined Today; Index Impact Could Be Delayed

Kokusai Electric had run up versus the SOX Index. Then, Kokusai Electric underperformed the SOX during the selloff. With an early (surprise) index...

Brian Freitas

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance: DISCO, Socionext, ZOZO In; PacMetals, Sumitomo Osaka, Takara Holding Out

The adds are all up since announcement, led by Zozo. Nitori is up too even though the upweight was knows. Two of the three deletes are lower....

Brian Freitas

Mar24 Nikkei 225 Rebal: Zozo (3092) And Other ADDs Update

The Mar24 N225 rebal has 5 days to run. So far, 3 of 4 stocks ADDed or UPweighted are up vs N225. DELETEs are down. There is a big funding sell....

Travis Lundy

The Bigly March 2024 "Wednesday-Friday Trade" (Surprising Flows)

Every year (twice a year) we have the Big Wednesday-Thursday Trade. This year it happens on those two days. Then we have a big Japan-internal rebal...

Travis Lundy

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52-week Range

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DISCO: Growth Is Slowing Down, the Stock Is Still Expensive

​DISCO beats Mar-25 Consensus but weak Jun-25 guidance. Consensus too high on revenue forecasts. Stock down -39% but still overvalued at 20x EPS.

Nicolas Baratte

Kokusai Electric (6525 JP): Placement Price Could Be Determined Today; Index Impact Could Be Delayed

Kokusai Electric had run up versus the SOX Index. Then, Kokusai Electric underperformed the SOX during the selloff. With an early (surprise) index...

Brian Freitas

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance: DISCO, Socionext, ZOZO In; PacMetals, Sumitomo Osaka, Takara Holding Out

The adds are all up since announcement, led by Zozo. Nitori is up too even though the upweight was knows. Two of the three deletes are lower....

Brian Freitas

Mar24 Nikkei 225 Rebal: Zozo (3092) And Other ADDs Update

The Mar24 N225 rebal has 5 days to run. So far, 3 of 4 stocks ADDed or UPweighted are up vs N225. DELETEs are down. There is a big funding sell....

Travis Lundy

The Bigly March 2024 "Wednesday-Friday Trade" (Surprising Flows)

Every year (twice a year) we have the Big Wednesday-Thursday Trade. This year it happens on those two days. Then we have a big Japan-internal rebal...

Travis Lundy

DISCO beats Mar-25 Consensus but weak Jun-25 guidance. Consensus too high on revenue forecasts. Stock down -39% but still overvalued at 20x EPS.