'Quantamental' Japan Specialist, LightStream Research

Campbell Gunn

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist

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.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/454/original/2020-04-18_16-16-49.png?1587194226" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128454"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>MARKING TIME</strong> - Japanse equities were becalmed last week, rising by 0.84%, while the Yen traded at 107 all week. The Bank of Japan bought ETFs on Wednesday and Thursday despite the relative calm and are on a path for April to equal the total purchases made in March. </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/455/original/2020-04-18_17-43-44.png?1587199447" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128455"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>MARKING MULTIPLES</strong> - As we have been covering in our daily Results &amp; Revisions updates, forward earnings continue to decline gradually. As previously noted, the market multiple will rise over the next month as full-year forecasts for FY2021 are announced to at least the early 2020 peak of 17.6 times. This adjustment process will be complicated by a lack of initial forecasts from many leading companies and by a delay in the publication of annual <em>yuho</em> audited financial statements until the late summer. 'Robust' analysis will be at a premium.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/651/original/File%202020-04-20%204%2023%2024.jpeg?1587324271" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128651"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/652/original/File%202020-04-20%204%2024%2019.jpeg?1587324282" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128652"></figure><p></p><div class="content-caption">Source • ourworldindata.org</div><p><strong>COVID CASE COUNT</strong> - Japan's COVID-19 daily case-count has trended down this week compared to the weel before and is now on a par with Sweden and Singapore. Daily fatalities are averaging double figures as this lagging statistics reflects the higher case count of two weeks ago and are still within the East Asian 'range' of 0-10 a day. New case counts of below 100 and a declining trend, as is the case in South Korea, Denmark and Austria will be required by the end of Golden Week on May 6th for Japan to consider any relaxation of its now nationwide 'state of emergency'. </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/558/original/File%202020-04-19%2016%2028%2027.jpeg?1587281926" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128558"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/559/original/File%202020-04-19%2016%2023%2014.jpeg?1587281952" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128559"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • ourworldindata.org</div><p><strong>JAPAN'S TESTING VACUUM</strong> - We have noted the lack of testing in Japan in an earlier <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-market-update-hit-the-boj-bid-and-wait-for-the-absolute-value-opportunity" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:37670" rel="noopener">Insight</a> and the two charts above from Oxford's Global Change Data Lab highlights Japan's outlier status in this regard and the implications for confirmed case counts and confirmed deaths. This deficiency has led many data scientists to study excess mortality rates. At present, there is insufficient data from the Health Ministry in Japan to make any valid comparisons. Based on other countries, Japan's excess mortality will likely price to be slightly higher for the over 65s and lower for everyone else. In any case, a massive testing capability will form a key component of any viable exit strategy.     </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/479/original/File%202020-04-19%206%2024%2053.jpeg?1587245112" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128479"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • stopcovid19.jp</div><p><strong>OVERSHOOT</strong> - Unfortunately for patients and the government, hospitals are now full in many prefectures. Central Tokyo hospitals are turning away patients requiring ambulances to take patients to outlying parts of the prefecture - although this situation is not unusual in normal times. Despite ample time to prepare, the government has failed to provide for the 'overshoot' that they had been warning the public it was necessary to avoid. Japan also has a lower ratio of intensive care beds, (5) per 100,000 people, than many other developed countries. The previous policy of hospitalising every case, however mild, has been reversed and local governments have now requisitioned 210,000 hotel rooms to house those not in need of urgent medical intervention. While Japan's COVID-19 strategy has, so far, followed the less economically-damaging Swedish model (see below), a failure to address the hospital overshoot risks the country being forced to follow the UK's 'u-turn' into total lockdown from which exit strategies are much harder. </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/650/original/2020-04-20_04-02-00.png?1587322973" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128650"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Tokyo Metropolitan Government</div><p><strong>PEAKING OUT?</strong> On Sunday, Tokyo only 107 new cases, the lowest Sunday total for three weeks and the first decline. Tokyo now has over 3,000 cases out of a population of almost 14 million. The rate of doubling is now decelerating from one week to two weeks. Meanwhile, transit through major railway stations has declined by 70-80% across Japan. A lowering of new cases next week will be crucial to keep the hospitals from overflowing and the Prime Minister's reputation from falling further.</p><p><strong>FALLOUT</strong> - PM Abe's political capital is another casualty of this disease. It has emerged that his coalition partner the lay-Buddhist Komeito party threatened to walk out if the cash-for-all policy was not implemented requiring Abe to amend a previously-agreed budget bill much to the fury of the Ministry of Finance. The latter was able to require an application process as a means of limiting the amounts dispersed. However, in a bow to the changing circumstance, this process can be conducted online without, it seems, the need for in-person <em>hanko</em> certification. An additional complication is that Abe has 'fallen out' with his main bureaucratic 'fixer' and the main conduit with Komeito, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga. Abe's poll ratings will probably never recover, and only his long-cherished desire to open the Tokyo Olympics in July 20121 will keep him in office. As will be true in many countries, the COVID-19 policy post mortems will be brutal and fatal for many previously Teflon-like political careers.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/486/original/File%202020-04-18%2013%2054%2022.jpeg?1587246944" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128486"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Agoop</div><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/488/original/File%202020-04-18%2013%2053%2001.jpeg?1587247186" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128488"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • @shinagawajp &gt; Blue bars = COVID-19 cases by Tokyo Ward   Orange Line = Concentration of people at 11 pm</div><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/490/original/File%202020-04-18%2014%2000%2004.jpeg?1587247628" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128490"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • @shinagawajp &gt; Blue bars = COVID-19 cases by Tokyo Ward  Red Line = Population earning more than ¥15m a year</div><p><strong>HOTSPOTS &amp; FAT CATS</strong> - Some support for the government's policy of shutting down Tokyo's nightlife comes from data which correlates case count per Tokyo ward and population clusters in each area at 11 pm.  The correlation is much higher than both population levels and public transport transit through each ward. The second highest correlation was with income levels, suggesting that Tokyo' rich have a greater tendency to frequent bars, restaurants and other forms of evening entertainment, while no doubt considering themselves immune. This correlation has been anecdotally confirmed by the growing number of figures from the media and entertainment world who have contracted the disease and bears out the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's focus on avoiding the 3 'C's - <strong>C</strong>ongregations <strong>C</strong>onversing in <strong>C</strong>onfined spaces. The plug has been pulled on Tokyo's '<em>mizushobai'</em> or 'water trade'.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/663/original/File%202020-04-20%205%2020%2010.jpeg?1587327650" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128663"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Johns Hopkins CSSE</div><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/128/478/original/2020-04-19_06-16-22.png?1587244624" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="128478"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • LockdownTV</div><p><strong>PROF GIESECKE &amp; THE SWEDISH MODEL</strong> - Lastly, this <a href="https://youtu.be/bfN2JWifLCY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> of an interview with retired Swedish epidemiologist, Professor Johan Giesecke, provides an update on the policy options that governments have faced in their responses to COVID-19, the background to Sweden's policy and the difficulties of exiting from lockdown strategies. A summary of his talk is as follows:-</p><blockquote>
<p>Lockdown policies are not evidence-based</p>
<p>The correct policy is to protect the old and the frail only - this will eventually lead to herd immunity as a by-product - the initial UK response, which was similar to Sweden's was better  - before they made a 180 degree U-turn</p>
<p>The UK's Imperial College paper was not very good and he has never seen an unpublished paper have so much policy impact - the paper was  too pessimistic and any such models are a dubious basis for public policy</p>
<p>The flattening of the curve is due to the most vulnerable dying first as much as the lockdown policy</p>
<p>The outcomes will eventually be similar for all countries regardless of policy pursued</p>
<p>Covid-19 is a mild disease similar to the flu, and it was the novelty of the disease that scared people - the fatality rate of Covid-19 is the region of 0.1%</p>
<p>At least 50% of the population will be shown to have already had the disease when mass antibody testing becomes available - achieving 'herd immunity'</p>
</blockquote><p>In the <strong>DETAIL </strong>below, we shall explore some of the emerging themes for the post-COVID-19 world, review the results, revisions and initial forecast announcements made on Friday and, finally, look at our lists the Moving Average 'Outliers'.  The positive/neutral/negative balance for Friday's three results announcements was 1:0:2. For the 20 revisions/forecasts, the split was 7:1:12 - although two of the positive outcomes were securities brokers making initial 'forecasts' of a year-on-year return to profitability after the full-year results have been finalised. Peer Groups revising down included <strong>Advertising Services</strong>, <strong>Apparel &amp; Footwear</strong>, <strong>Retail-Apparel &amp; Footwear</strong>, <strong>Hotels &amp; Resorts</strong>, <strong>Employment &amp; Staffing</strong>, and<strong> Restaurants</strong>. Upward revisions were seen in<strong> Retail-Food &amp; Drink</strong>, <strong>Personal Products</strong>, and<strong> Public Relations</strong>.</p>

Source • Japan AnalyticsMARKING TIME - Japanse equities were becalmed last week, rising by 0.84%, while the Yen traded at 107 all week. The Bank of Japan bought ETFs on Wednesday and Thursday despite the relative calm and are on a path for April to equal the total purchases made in March. Source • Japan AnalyticsMARKING MULTIPLES - As we have been covering in our daily Results &amp; Revisions updates, forward earnings continue to decline gradually. As previously noted, the market multiple will rise over the next month as full-year forecasts for FY2021 are announced to at least the early 2020 peak of 17.6 times. This adjustment process will be complicated by a lack of initial forecasts from many leading companies and by a delay in the publication of annual yuho audited financial statements until the late summer. 'Robust' analysis will be at a premium.Source • ourworldindata.orgCOVID CASE COUNT - Japan's COVID-19 daily case-count has trended down this week compared to the weel before and is now on a par with Sweden and Singapore. Daily fatalities are averaging double figures as this lagging statistics reflects the higher case count of two weeks ago and are still within the East Asian 'range' of 0-10 a day. New case counts of below 100 and a declining trend, as is the case in South Korea, Denmark and Austria will be required by the end of Golden Week on May 6th for Japan to consider any relaxation of its now nationwide 'state of emergency'. Source • ourworldindata.orgJAPAN'S TESTING VACUUM - We have noted the lack of testing in Japan in an earlier Insight and the two charts above from Oxford's Global Change Data Lab highlights Japan's outlier status in this regard and the implications for confirmed case counts and confirmed deaths. This deficiency has led many data scientists to study excess mortality rates. At present, there is insufficient data from the Health Ministry in Japan to make any valid comparisons. Based on other countries, Japan's excess mortality will likely price to be slightly higher for the over 65s and lower for everyone else. In any case, a massive testing capability will form a key component of any viable exit strategy.     Source • stopcovid19.jpOVERSHOOT - Unfortunately for patients and the government, hospitals are now full in many prefectures. Central Tokyo hospitals are turning away patients requiring ambulances to take patients to outlying parts of the prefecture - although this situation is not unusual in normal times. Despite ample time to prepare, the government has failed to provide for the 'overshoot' that they had been warning the public it was necessary to avoid. Japan also has a lower ratio of intensive care beds, (5) per 100,000 people, than many other developed countries. The previous policy of hospitalising every case, however mild, has been reversed and local governments have now requisitioned 210,000 hotel rooms to house those not in need of urgent medical intervention. While Japan's COVID-19 strategy has, so far, followed the less economically-damaging Swedish model (see below), a failure to address the hospital overshoot risks the country being forced to follow the UK's 'u-turn' into total lockdown from which exit strategies are much harder. Source • Tokyo Metropolitan GovernmentPEAKING OUT? On Sunday, Tokyo only 107 new cases, the lowest Sunday total for three weeks and the first decline. Tokyo now has over 3,000 cases out of a population of almost 14 million. The rate of doubling is now decelerating from one week to two weeks. Meanwhile, transit through major railway stations has declined by 70-80% across Japan. A lowering of new cases next week will be crucial to keep the hospitals from overflowing and the Prime Minister's reputation from falling further.FALLOUT - PM Abe's political capital is another casualty of this disease. It has emerged that his coalition partner the lay-Buddhist Komeito party threatened to walk out if the cash-for-all policy was not implemented requiring Abe to amend a previously-agreed budget bill much to the fury of the Ministry of Finance. The latter was able to require an application process as a means of limiting the amounts dispersed. However, in a bow to the changing circumstance, this process can be conducted online without, it seems, the need for in-person hanko certification. An additional complication is that Abe has 'fallen out' with his main bureaucratic 'fixer' and the main conduit with Komeito, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga. Abe's poll ratings will probably never recover, and only his long-cherished desire to open the Tokyo Olympics in July 20121 will keep him in office. As will be true in many countries, the COVID-19 policy post mortems will be brutal and fatal for many previously Teflon-like political careers.Source • AgoopSource • @shinagawajp &gt; Blue bars = COVID-19 cases by Tokyo Ward   Orange Line = Concentration of people at 11 pmSource • @shinagawajp &gt; Blue bars = COVID-19 cases by Tokyo Ward  Red Line = Population earning more than ¥15m a yearHOTSPOTS &amp; FAT CATS - Some support for the government's policy of shutting down Tokyo's nightlife comes from data which correlates case count per Tokyo ward and population clusters in each area at 11 pm.  The correlation is much higher than both population levels and public transport transit through each ward. The second highest correlation was with income levels, suggesting that Tokyo' rich have a greater tendency to frequent bars, restaurants and other forms of evening entertainment, while no doubt considering themselves immune. This correlation has been anecdotally confirmed by the growing number of figures from the media and entertainment world who have contracted the disease and bears out the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's focus on avoiding the 3 'C's - Congregations Conversing in Confined spaces. The plug has been pulled on Tokyo's 'mizushobai' or 'water trade'.Source • Johns Hopkins CSSESource • LockdownTVPROF GIESECKE &amp; THE SWEDISH MODEL - Lastly, this video of an interview with retired Swedish epidemiologist, Professor Johan Giesecke, provides an update on the policy options that governments have faced in their responses to COVID-19, the background to Sweden's policy and the difficulties of exiting from lockdown strategies. A summary of his talk is as follows:-
Lockdown policies are not evidence-based
The correct policy is to protect the old and the frail only - this will eventually lead to herd immunity as a by-product - the initial UK response, which was similar to Sweden's was better  - before they made a 180 degree U-turn
The UK's Imperial College paper was not very good and he has never seen an unpublished paper have so much policy impact - the paper was  too pessimistic and any such models are a dubious basis for public policy
The flattening of the curve is due to the most vulnerable dying first as much as the lockdown policy
The outcomes will eventually be similar for all countries regardless of policy pursued
Covid-19 is a mild disease similar to the flu, and it was the novelty of the disease that scared people - the fatality rate of Covid-19 is the region of 0.1%
At least 50% of the population will be shown to have already had the disease when mass antibody testing becomes available - achieving 'herd immunity'
In the DETAIL below, we shall explore some of the emerging themes for the post-COVID-19 world, review the results, revisions and initial forecast announcements made on Friday and, finally, look at our lists the Moving Average 'Outliers'.  The positive/neutral/negative balance for Friday's three results announcements was 1:0:2. For the 20 revisions/forecasts, the split was 7:1:12 - although two of the positive outcomes were securities brokers making initial 'forecasts' of a year-on-year return to profitability after the full-year results have been finalised. Peer Groups revising down included Advertising Services, Apparel &amp; Footwear, Retail-Apparel &amp; Footwear, Hotels &amp; Resorts, Employment &amp; Staffing, and Restaurants. Upward revisions were seen in Retail-Food &amp; Drink, Personal Products, and Public Relations.

🇯🇵 JAPAN MARKET (& COVID-19) UPDATE 19th April - Overshoot

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/809/original/2020-04-14_04-54-14.png?1586807683" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127809"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>A CLEARER VISION</strong> - Softbank last made an earnings forecast in December 2010; however, the startling losses at the Vision Fund have prompted them to be more forthcoming, perhaps not entirely unrelated to their buyback programme.  The revisions amount to a cut of 3% to forecast for annual operating profit and net income for the market overall. We will leave the implications for the NAV discount to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/kirk-boodry" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:1920" rel="noopener">Kirk Boodry</a> and others to fill in; however, we would note that the more traditional revised BPS is now 1.26. </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/781/original/2020-04-13_18-22-38.png?1586769778" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127781"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • SNA</div><p><strong>HOKKAIDO'S SECOND WAVE</strong> - Hokkaido has just reimposed a prefectural-level emergency having seen its second wave of infections after lifting restrictions on 19th March. Ten prefecture are imposing various degrees of quasi-lockdowns after Ishikawa-ken followed Aichi's example yesterday.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/816/original/File%202020-04-14%207%2027%2032.jpeg?1586816887" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127816"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • TMG <figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/818/original/IMG_1317.jpg?1586817094" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127818"></figure>
</div><div class="content-caption">Source • NHK</div><p><strong>MONDAY CASE COUNT</strong> - Tokyo saw just 91 new confirmed cases yesterday; however, Monday's tend to be quieter days due to a lower amount of testing. The rest of the country saw 125 new cases - only three prefectures saw more than ten new cases.</p><p><strong>NOT SO FULL DISCLOSURE</strong> - Japan's FSA is planning to postpone the deadline for submitting yuho annual reports for listed companies closing in March for three months, until the end of September, given the impact of the COVID-19.  The unaudited short-form kessan tanshin statements will continue, however, certain items including data on shareholdings will be delayed. Annual General Meetings for March year-end companies that generally take place in June will also have to be postponed.</p><p>In the <strong>DETAIL</strong> below, we shall review the large-cap results, revisions and initial forecast announcements made yesterday. The positive/neutral/negative balance for all 63 results was 29:9:25; for the 27 revisions/forecasts, the split was 11:1:15. </p>

Source • Japan AnalyticsA CLEARER VISION - Softbank last made an earnings forecast in December 2010; however, the startling losses at the Vision Fund have prompted them to be more forthcoming, perhaps not entirely unrelated to their buyback programme.  The revisions amount to a cut of 3% to forecast for annual operating profit and net income for the market overall. We will leave the implications for the NAV discount to Kirk Boodry and others to fill in; however, we would note that the more traditional revised BPS is now 1.26. Source • SNAHOKKAIDO'S SECOND WAVE - Hokkaido has just reimposed a prefectural-level emergency having seen its second wave of infections after lifting restrictions on 19th March. Ten prefecture are imposing various degrees of quasi-lockdowns after Ishikawa-ken followed Aichi's example yesterday.Source • TMG 
Source • NHKMONDAY CASE COUNT - Tokyo saw just 91 new confirmed cases yesterday; however, Monday's tend to be quieter days due to a lower amount of testing. The rest of the country saw 125 new cases - only three prefectures saw more than ten new cases.NOT SO FULL DISCLOSURE - Japan's FSA is planning to postpone the deadline for submitting yuho annual reports for listed companies closing in March for three months, until the end of September, given the impact of the COVID-19.  The unaudited short-form kessan tanshin statements will continue, however, certain items including data on shareholdings will be delayed. Annual General Meetings for March year-end companies that generally take place in June will also have to be postponed.In the DETAIL below, we shall review the large-cap results, revisions and initial forecast announcements made yesterday. The positive/neutral/negative balance for all 63 results was 29:9:25; for the 27 revisions/forecasts, the split was 11:1:15. 

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results 13th April - A Clearer Vision

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Quantitative Analysis

<p>In the past 4 weeks we have seen substantial disruption in global markets. Total equity market cap across the world is down tens of trillions of dollars, credit spreads exploded, 'risk-free' rate curves steepened dramatically, investment funds blew up, the very structure of money markets was briefly in question. Central banks around the world have acted in coordinated fashion to stem the tide of panic. The US Fed has stepped in with QE Forever, providing trillions of dollars of balance sheet and funding to stabilise systemic risk, and governments have announced trillions of dollars of stimulus packages to try to cushion economies from short-term restrictive social policies meant to stem the slow the spread of COVID-19 and lessen long-term economic damage from loss of life and work.</p><p><em>Amidst this, the Nikkei 225/TOPIX ratio has gone through something of a rough patch. </em></p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/125/379/original/Screenshot%202020-03-29%20at%206.18.38%20PM.png?1585477145" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="125379"></figure><p></p><p>There is (obviously) a <em>forest-for-the-trees</em> argument to be made here. I'll stipulate that. But investors are expected to do their job come inclement weather, global pestilence, pandemic, or war - that is their job as stewards. Right now, an enormous part of that is second-guessing what <em>other</em> investors will do. </p><p>This insight is a walk through the conditions which enabled and perhaps prompted the wild swings in some of the major constituents in Nikkei 225 and what caused the major swings in Nikkei vs. TOPIX. </p>

In the past 4 weeks we have seen substantial disruption in global markets. Total equity market cap across the world is down tens of trillions of dollars, credit spreads exploded, 'risk-free' rate curves steepened dramatically, investment funds blew up, the very structure of money markets was briefly in question. Central banks around the world have acted in coordinated fashion to stem the tide of panic. The US Fed has stepped in with QE Forever, providing trillions of dollars of balance sheet and funding to stabilise systemic risk, and governments have announced trillions of dollars of stimulus packages to try to cushion economies from short-term restrictive social policies meant to stem the slow the spread of COVID-19 and lessen long-term economic damage from loss of life and work.Amidst this, the Nikkei 225/TOPIX ratio has gone through something of a rough patch. There is (obviously) a forest-for-the-trees argument to be made here. I'll stipulate that. But investors are expected to do their job come inclement weather, global pestilence, pandemic, or war - that is their job as stewards. Right now, an enormous part of that is second-guessing what other investors will do. This insight is a walk through the conditions which enabled and perhaps prompted the wild swings in some of the major constituents in Nikkei 225 and what caused the major swings in Nikkei vs. TOPIX. 

Breaking Down Wild Nikkei 225 Component Moves

Japan/Asia Long-Short, LightStream Research

Mio Kato

Japan/Asia Long-Short

Event-Driven

<p>Since the 17<sup>th</sup> of March we have published several notes regarding skews in performance between names that have heavy weights in TOPIX vs. those with heavy weights in the Nikkei. While it has required some very nimble trading the alpha generation if you were on the right side of the trades has been exceptionally good. We summarise the performance of the names we have highlighted and our thoughts on when to close out these trades below.</p>

Since the 17th of March we have published several notes regarding skews in performance between names that have heavy weights in TOPIX vs. those with heavy weights in the Nikkei. While it has required some very nimble trading the alpha generation if you were on the right side of the trades has been exceptionally good. We summarise the performance of the names we have highlighted and our thoughts on when to close out these trades below.

Taking Stock of the Almost Excessive Alpha Generation From TOPIX-Nikkei Skew Trades

<div>
<p>As discussed in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-delta-iii-the-annual-topix-dividend-trade" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:37694" rel="noopener">JAPAN DELTA III - The Annual TOPIX Dividend Trade</a>, the absolute returns on these days show significant divergence around the year-end. </p>
<p>It is definitely worth your while looking into the risk. </p>
<p>For arbitrageurs, this year's dividends may be fraught with greater risk than usual, suggesting that EFPs will trade on less favorable terms to those using futures to hedge than normal. </p>
<p>This insight looks at indices relative to each other, the performance of Small vs Large, Small In Index vs Small Out of Index, Value vs Growth, etc. </p>
<p>The data is really interesting, and worthwhile knowing.</p>
</div><table class="table table-striped"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2" style="width: 124px;"><h2>The Series So Far...</h2></td></tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 124px;"><strong>Date</strong></td>
<td style="width: 580px;"><strong>Title</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 124px;">18-Mar-2020</td>
<td style="width: 580px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-delta-i-the-boj-ups-etf-buying" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:37528" rel="noopener">JAPAN DELTA I - The BOJ Ups ETF Buying</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 124px;">19-Mar-2020</td>
<td style="width: 580px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-delta-ii-foreigners-and-trust-banks-a-wildcard" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:37590" rel="noopener">JAPAN DELTA II - Foreigners And Trust Banks a WildCard</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 124px;">23-Mar-2020</td>
<td style="width: 580px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-delta-iii-the-annual-topix-dividend-trade" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:37694" rel="noopener">JAPAN DELTA III - The Annual TOPIX Dividend Trade</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 124px;">24-Mar-2020</td>
<td style="width: 580px;">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-delta-iv-is-the-gpif-in-buying" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:37730" rel="noopener">JAPAN DELTA IV - Is The GPIF In Buying?</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>


As discussed in JAPAN DELTA III - The Annual TOPIX Dividend Trade, the absolute returns on these days show significant divergence around the year-end. 
It is definitely worth your while looking into the risk. 
For arbitrageurs, this year's dividends may be fraught with greater risk than usual, suggesting that EFPs will trade on less favorable terms to those using futures to hedge than normal. 
This insight looks at indices relative to each other, the performance of Small vs Large, Small In Index vs Small Out of Index, Value vs Growth, etc. 
The data is really interesting, and worthwhile knowing.

The Series So Far...

Date
Title


18-Mar-2020

JAPAN DELTA I - The BOJ Ups ETF Buying 


19-Mar-2020

JAPAN DELTA II - Foreigners And Trust Banks a WildCard 


23-Mar-2020

JAPAN DELTA III - The Annual TOPIX Dividend Trade 


24-Mar-2020

JAPAN DELTA IV - Is The GPIF In Buying? 



JAPAN DELTA V - MOAR Meaningful March-End Div Trade Data

Japan

FamilyMart Co., Ltd. operates convenience store chains. The Company provides rice balls, hot snacks, stews, beverages, and other products. FamilyMart conducts businesses in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and other countries and regions.

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FamilyMart Co Ltd (8028 JP)

🇯🇵 JAPAN MARKET (& COVID-19) UPDATE 19th April - Overshoot

MARKING TIME - Japanse equities were becalmed last week, rising by 0.84%, while the Yen traded at 107 all week. The Bank of Japan bought ETFs on...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results 13th April - A Clearer Vision

A CLEARER VISION - Softbank last made an earnings forecast in December 2010; however, the startling losses at the Vision Fund have prompted them to...

Campbell Gunn

Breaking Down Wild Nikkei 225 Component Moves

In the past 4 weeks we have seen substantial disruption in global markets. Total equity market cap across the world is down tens of trillions of...

Travis Lundy

Taking Stock of the Almost Excessive Alpha Generation From TOPIX-Nikkei Skew Trades

Since the 17th of March we have published several notes regarding skews in performance between names that have heavy weights in TOPIX vs. those...

Mio Kato

JAPAN DELTA V - MOAR Meaningful March-End Div Trade Data

As discussed in JAPAN DELTA III - The Annual TOPIX Dividend Trade, the absolute returns on these days show significant divergence around the...

Travis Lundy

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)