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

DoorDash’s first earnings call confirmed many of the concerns from our initiation. The key point for 2021? We think estimates that came up to reflect the easy COVID comp for 1Q21 will fall the rest of the year as COVID recedes, which will result in the rising customer acquisition costs cited in 4Q and 2021 meeting falling LTVs as customers return to dining out. DoorDash is likely to continually underperform expectations.Why do we think DoorDash is worth maybe half its current valuation?We’ll leave it to “NEUTRAL” rated Goldman Sachs to sum it up, “With the stock trading near 20x 2022E EV/Gross Profit vs. GSe 28% 3-year Gross Profit CAGR compared to the peer average of 10x on 30% growth we believe much of that opportunity is reflected in the current valuation. Therefore, we remain Neutral rated, while our 12-month price target goes to $145 from $135 to reflect revised estimates and current comp multiples.”As always, if you can’t explain why one company is worth 2x more then all its peers…it’s a neutral.<div class="content-highlight">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.</div>

DoorDash’s first earnings call confirmed many of the concerns from our initiation. The key point for 2021? We think estimates that came up to reflect the easy COVID comp for 1Q21 will fall the rest of the year as COVID recedes, which will result in the rising customer acquisition costs cited in 4Q and 2021 meeting falling LTVs as customers return to dining out. DoorDash is likely to continually underperform expectations.Why do we think DoorDash is worth maybe half its current valuation?We’ll leave it to “NEUTRAL” rated Goldman Sachs to sum it up, “With the stock trading near 20x 2022E EV/Gross Profit vs. GSe 28% 3-year Gross Profit CAGR compared to the peer average of 10x on 30% growth we believe much of that opportunity is reflected in the current valuation. Therefore, we remain Neutral rated, while our 12-month price target goes to $145 from $135 to reflect revised estimates and current comp multiples.”As always, if you can’t explain why one company is worth 2x more then all its peers…it’s a neutral.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.

DoorDash 4Q20 Earnings: This Is a Business Worth $50B?

DoorDash is one of our highest conviction shorts for 2021. It has a massively unprofitable business model with unstable market share that must be protected through unlimited spending. We think this is a $60-70 stock eventually.

DoorDash is one of our highest conviction shorts for 2021. It has a massively unprofitable business model with unstable market share that must be protected through unlimited spending. We think this is a $60-70 stock eventually.

Telco/Internet specialist

Kirk Boodry

Redex Research

Softbank Group shares fell 5% which seems like an outsize move relative to the overall markets (TOPIX -2%, NASDAQ -0.5%) but that does come off a record low discount (-16%). And whilst that has expanded to 20% it remains far better than the 27% discount when the company reported Q3 results on 8 Feb. One big difference is the Coupang IPO filing which implies at least $10bn in upside for Vision Fund based on aspirational pricing. If tech sentiment decidedly turns, the lost potential is probably as relevant for Softbank shares as today’s absolute downside for Vision Fund (-$1bn) and Alibaba (-2%, ~$2bn).

Softbank Group shares fell 5% which seems like an outsize move relative to the overall markets (TOPIX -2%, NASDAQ -0.5%) but that does come off a record low discount (-16%). And whilst that has expanded to 20% it remains far better than the 27% discount when the company reported Q3 results on 8 Feb. One big difference is the Coupang IPO filing which implies at least $10bn in upside for Vision Fund based on aspirational pricing. If tech sentiment decidedly turns, the lost potential is probably as relevant for Softbank shares as today’s absolute downside for Vision Fund (-$1bn) and Alibaba (-2%, ~$2bn).

Softbank Group: Jitters in a Frothy Market

Palantir Technologies  / Equity Bottom-Up

Palantir generated $93M more revenues this quarter then a year ago. From that $93M, the company generated $174M more in operating income, which swung its EBIT margins from (31%) to 32% YoY…adjusted EBITDA margins of course (there was $1B in incremental SBC). In any case, that is some sort of remarkable business. Especially for a software company that is building a direct sales force and theoretically needs to be investing heavily in R&amp;D to keep up with the competition. Palantir talks about generating insight through the fog of war, but in our short time analyzing this company, we can’t find our way through the fog.<div class="content-highlight">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.</div>

Palantir generated $93M more revenues this quarter then a year ago. From that $93M, the company generated $174M more in operating income, which swung its EBIT margins from (31%) to 32% YoY…adjusted EBITDA margins of course (there was $1B in incremental SBC). In any case, that is some sort of remarkable business. Especially for a software company that is building a direct sales force and theoretically needs to be investing heavily in R&amp;D to keep up with the competition. Palantir talks about generating insight through the fog of war, but in our short time analyzing this company, we can’t find our way through the fog.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.

Palantir 4Q20 Earnings: The Greatest Operating Leverage Story Ever Told

As expected, the IPO of DoorDash and a recovery in sentiment for Uber drove huge gains for Vision Fund in Q3 as that investment segment came roaring back. The asset management business, which handles proceeds from asset sales, posted less impressive results however with another quarter of close to $3bn (¥285bn) in losses from derivative trading. Softbank reiterated today that it is an investment company and bright talk on Vision Fund 2 probably means that has more to with new ideas and less with its own shares or a “slow-burn” MBO. Investors bidding up shares to a new 21-year high before the report after the market close were probably looking for more.

As expected, the IPO of DoorDash and a recovery in sentiment for Uber drove huge gains for Vision Fund in Q3 as that investment segment came roaring back. The asset management business, which handles proceeds from asset sales, posted less impressive results however with another quarter of close to $3bn (¥285bn) in losses from derivative trading. Softbank reiterated today that it is an investment company and bright talk on Vision Fund 2 probably means that has more to with new ideas and less with its own shares or a “slow-burn” MBO. Investors bidding up shares to a new 21-year high before the report after the market close were probably looking for more.    

Softbank Group Q3 20 Results: Well-Flagged VF Gains but Derivative Losses Remain a Drag

United States

DoorDash, Inc. provides restaurant food delivery services. The Company develops technology to connect customers with merchants through an on-demand food delivery application. DoorDash serves customers in the United States.

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DoorDash (DASH US)

DoorDash 4Q20 Earnings: This Is a Business Worth $50B?

DoorDash's 4Q20 earnings confirmed our bearish thesis. The company is continuing to spend higher and higher amounts on customer acquisition due to...

Aaron Gabin

DoorDash: Run for the Exits

DoorDash is one of our top short picks for 2021. We think the earnings implosion is just the start as it fails to comp its outrageously fortunate...

Aaron Gabin

Softbank Group: Jitters in a Frothy Market

Tech jitters hit Softbank shares which dropped 5% v -1% for NASDAQ. We think the gap is partially explained by the Coupang IPO and low visibility...

Kirk Boodry

Palantir 4Q20 Earnings: The Greatest Operating Leverage Story Ever Told

Palantir's quarter, much like the rest of the company was perplexing. We believe the stock is overvalued even in the high 20s, and the coming...

Aaron Gabin

Softbank Group Q3 20 Results: Well-Flagged VF Gains but Derivative Losses Remain a Drag

Softbank posted robust profits thanks to Vision Fund gains from DoorDash and Uber but public market investments lost money again after another...

Kirk Boodry

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