Japanese Equity Specialist, Ortus Advisors

Andrew Jackson

Japanese Equity Specialist

Ortus Advisors

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Lawmakers accuse semi-caps for helping make China make chips. What else would their equipment do?</li>
<li>HDD names swoon yet pure play Sandisk stays firm. Wafers down after small-cap Aehr somehow rattles markets.</li>
<li>Mixed tape for Homebuilders with James Hardie surging on numbers while rest of sector sags on a downgrade.</li>
</ul>


Lawmakers accuse semi-caps for helping make China make chips. What else would their equipment do?
HDD names swoon yet pure play Sandisk stays firm. Wafers down after small-cap Aehr somehow rattles markets.
Mixed tape for Homebuilders with James Hardie surging on numbers while rest of sector sags on a downgrade.


Japan Morning Connection: Semi's Correct Finally, but Already Seeing Dip Buying off Lows Overnight

Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas, Azabu Research

Michael Allen

Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas

Azabu Research

Azabu Research is a publishing and consulting firm focused on distressed equities in the Japanese market. We specialize in turnaround strategies, corporate combinations, divestitures, and restructuring.

Publisher of the Tokyo Turnaround Letter, which conducts the most thorough research possible of publicly available information, including forensic tests for fraudulent overstatement of assets and understatement of liabilities, as well as rigorous market and industry analysis to assess the underlying strengths of the company’s products or services, the appropriateness of the company’s turnaround strategy, and the skill of its current management team. The average length of a report exceeds 25 pages of text and tables, excluding any disclosures or executive summaries.

We have more than 30 years of experience in applying this process to distressed equities in Japan. Additionally, subscribers have free access to detailed, yet easily navigated earnings models for the target company as well as the top five comparable companies, and unlimited access to the analyst for follow-up questions.

Azabu Research also conducts be-spoke research on a project basis, and provides consulting services to companies looking to restructure, divest, make acquisitions, go public, or improve investor sentiment toward their stock.

Independent Research and Consulting Firm

<ul>
<li>Japan maybe facing an unprecedented heat wave this fall, threatening retailers' profits as high-end seasonal items may not sell </li>
<li>Six major retailers, including Fast Retailing, are at risk of serious profit declines if the weather forecasts are accurate. That's a big "IF", but wait, there's more.</li>
<li>U.S. tariffs on clothing could devastate Fast Retailing's profits there, potentially forcing them to withdraw from the U.S. market.  </li>
</ul>


Japan maybe facing an unprecedented heat wave this fall, threatening retailers' profits as high-end seasonal items may not sell 
Six major retailers, including Fast Retailing, are at risk of serious profit declines if the weather forecasts are accurate. That's a big "IF", but wait, there's more.
U.S. tariffs on clothing could devastate Fast Retailing's profits there, potentially forcing them to withdraw from the U.S. market.  


Japanese Retailer Red Alert Is the Reddest Ever

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

<ul>
<li>We continue to be bullish about Workman’s back-to-basics strategy which has delivered a second straight year of record sales and profit, with same-store sales up 9%. </li>
<li>New president Koji Ouchi has just revamped the business under five core functional categories, as well as moving towards more mass-scale manufacturing and corporate franchising.</li>
<li>The new strategy is part of a drive toward 1,300 stores by 2030.</li>
</ul>


We continue to be bullish about Workman’s back-to-basics strategy which has delivered a second straight year of record sales and profit, with same-store sales up 9%. 
New president Koji Ouchi has just revamped the business under five core functional categories, as well as moving towards more mass-scale manufacturing and corporate franchising.
The new strategy is part of a drive toward 1,300 stores by 2030.


<ul>
<li>Masayoshi Son is floating a $1trn AI factory in Arizona in exchange for tax breaks.</li>
<li>NTT Data out, Rohm in. Downside for Ibiden, but also small buying for Fasty, Terumo, Konami and others.</li>
<li>Renesas announces details of its Wolfspeed restructuring deal which includes kitchen sinking the losses this year.</li>
</ul>


Masayoshi Son is floating a $1trn AI factory in Arizona in exchange for tax breaks.
NTT Data out, Rohm in. Downside for Ibiden, but also small buying for Fasty, Terumo, Konami and others.
Renesas announces details of its Wolfspeed restructuring deal which includes kitchen sinking the losses this year.


Japan Morning Connection: US Directly Attacks Iran and Requests Japan to Spend 5% of GDP on Defense

<ul>
<li>The Japanese fashion e-commerce market is undergoing rapid transformation: while online sales continue to grow, the channel’s share of total fashion sales has fluctuated due to strong in-store performance.</li>
<li>Even the best exemplars of effective integration of online and offline and personalised marketing have seen e-commerce share fall as physical store sales have risen faster for many. </li>
<li>Omnichannel models continue to evolve, with great examples of deeper integration of stores and digital through staff activities like blogging and Live Commerce.</li>
</ul>


The Japanese fashion e-commerce market is undergoing rapid transformation: while online sales continue to grow, the channel’s share of total fashion sales has fluctuated due to strong in-store performance.
Even the best exemplars of effective integration of online and offline and personalised marketing have seen e-commerce share fall as physical store sales have risen faster for many. 
Omnichannel models continue to evolve, with great examples of deeper integration of stores and digital through staff activities like blogging and Live Commerce.


Fashion E-Commerce in Japan: Stores Are Key Too

Japan

FAST RETAILING CO., LTD. operates a chain of clothing stores, UNIQLO, throughout Japan and in other markets overseas including UK, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, US, France, Singapore and Russia.  The Company designs, manufactures, and retails its own line of casual clothing.

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Fast Retailing (9983 JP)

Japan Morning Connection: Semi's Correct Finally, but Already Seeing Dip Buying off Lows Overnight

Advantest may emerge as an SPE sector relative short. May be a chance to double dip on wafer companies after a US wafer testing firm dropped 17.4%.

Andrew Jackson

Japanese Retailer Red Alert Is the Reddest Ever

Japan's retailers face profit decline due to potential heat wave this fall; U.S. tariffs likely to do far more damage to Fast Retailing's profits...

Michael Allen

Workman Turnaround Gathers Pace

Workman is now well out of its depression. The turnaround is complete and the workwear retailer has its mojo back, with functional value and supply...

Michael Causton

Japan Morning Connection: US Directly Attacks Iran and Requests Japan to Spend 5% of GDP on Defense

Defense related should be supported by reports on GDP defense spending along with Trump's move to directly bomb Iranian nuclear sites. Masayoshi...

Andrew Jackson

Fashion E-Commerce in Japan: Stores Are Key Too

Japanese fashion e-commerce market sees growth, but in-store sales outpace online, challenging even top omnichannel strategies. Staff engagement...

Michael Causton

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Japan Morning Connection: Semi's Correct Finally, but Already Seeing Dip Buying off Lows Overnight

Advantest may emerge as an SPE sector relative short. May be a chance to double dip on wafer companies after a US wafer testing firm dropped 17.4%.

Andrew Jackson

Japanese Retailer Red Alert Is the Reddest Ever

​Japan's retailers face profit decline due to potential heat wave this fall; U.S. tariffs likely to do far more damage to Fast Retailing's profits...

Michael Allen

Workman Turnaround Gathers Pace

Workman is now well out of its depression. The turnaround is complete and the workwear retailer has its mojo back, with functional value and supply...

Michael Causton

Japan Morning Connection: US Directly Attacks Iran and Requests Japan to Spend 5% of GDP on Defense

Defense related should be supported by reports on GDP defense spending along with Trump's move to directly bomb Iranian nuclear sites. Masayoshi...

Andrew Jackson

Fashion E-Commerce in Japan: Stores Are Key Too

​Japanese fashion e-commerce market sees growth, but in-store sales outpace online, challenging even top omnichannel strategies. Staff engagement...

Michael Causton

Japan's retailers face profit decline due to potential heat wave this fall; U.S. tariffs likely to do far more damage to Fast Retailing's profits...

Japanese fashion e-commerce market sees growth, but in-store sales outpace online, challenging even top omnichannel strategies. Staff engagement...