New Zealand Professional Investment Services Firm, Forsyth Barr

Forsyth Barr

New Zealand Professional Investment Services Firm

We are proud to be a New Zealand owned firm, with 21 offices throughout the country and over 300 employees. We assist personal, institutional and corporate clients providing a full range of investment services.

Forsyth Barr is a foundation New Zealand Exchange firm (NZX) and accredited market participant. We have been confirmed by the Financial Markets Authority as a Qualifying Financial Entity (QFE).

Research is the cornerstone of our advice. We have one of New Zealand's leading teams of analysts. Our global affiliations ensure comprehensive research coverage of all major investment markets.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>Fletcher Building (FBU) reported 1H25 EBIT down -37%, reflecting a cyclically weak operating backdrop but slightly exceeding our and market expectations.</li><li>This has been a long cycle—35 months after FBU's pre-GFC peak, its share price had rallied 50%+ from its lows; we are now 44 months into this cycle.</li><li>Like then, interest rates are being cut and forward indicators are improving, suggesting the downturn may be nearing an end. </li></ul>

Fletcher Building (FBU) reported 1H25 EBIT down -37%, reflecting a cyclically weak operating backdrop but slightly exceeding our and market expectations.This has been a long cycle—35 months after FBU's pre-GFC peak, its share price had rallied 50%+ from its lows; we are now 44 months into this cycle.Like then, interest rates are being cut and forward indicators are improving, suggesting the downturn may be nearing an end. 

Fletcher Building - 1H25 Result—Light at the End of a Long Tunnel

<ul><li>Fletcher Building (FBU) will report its 1H25 result on Wednesday, 19 February.</li><li>We expect EBIT to decline -38% to NZ$162m, driven by broad-based volume declines and competitive margin pressure.</li><li>While forward indicators have improved, data and anecdotal evidence suggest construction activity was still rebasing in the December 2024 quarter, making the first half of 2025 likely to remain challenging. </li></ul>

Fletcher Building (FBU) will report its 1H25 result on Wednesday, 19 February.We expect EBIT to decline -38% to NZ$162m, driven by broad-based volume declines and competitive margin pressure.While forward indicators have improved, data and anecdotal evidence suggest construction activity was still rebasing in the December 2024 quarter, making the first half of 2025 likely to remain challenging. 

Fletcher Building - 1H25 Preview—Where to Next?

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

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/reece-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3186:1" rel="noopener">Reece Ltd (REH AU)</a>'s stock price has dropped a lot over the last year, and the significantly lower market cap could result in global index deletion in August. </li>
<li>Short interest started to pick up early this year and has accelerated over the last couple of months. There are indications of positioning in the stock.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/reece-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3186:1" rel="noopener">Reece Ltd (REH AU)</a> has underperformed its peers but still trades at a higher EV/EBITDA and forward PE compared to most of its peer group.</li>
</ul>



Reece Ltd (REH AU)'s stock price has dropped a lot over the last year, and the significantly lower market cap could result in global index deletion in August. 
Short interest started to pick up early this year and has accelerated over the last couple of months. There are indications of positioning in the stock.

Reece Ltd (REH AU) has underperformed its peers but still trades at a higher EV/EBITDA and forward PE compared to most of its peer group.


Reece (REH AU): Positioning Increases as Global Index Deletion Nears

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech, Aequitas Research

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Quantitative Analysis

<ul>
<li>We analyzed the changes in short interest of ASX Stocks as of May 30th (reported today). The aggregated short interest was USD27.2bn.</li>
<li>We tabulate league tables for top short by value and short as multiple of ADT, as well as weekly increases &amp; decreases in short value, short as multiple of ADT.</li>
<li>We highlight short interest changes in Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Evolution Mining, Westpac, Goodman, Wisetech Global, Rio Tinto, Treasury Wine Estates, Gpt, National Australia Bank.</li>
</ul>


We analyzed the changes in short interest of ASX Stocks as of May 30th (reported today). The aggregated short interest was USD27.2bn.
We tabulate league tables for top short by value and short as multiple of ADT, as well as weekly increases &amp; decreases in short value, short as multiple of ADT.
We highlight short interest changes in Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Evolution Mining, Westpac, Goodman, Wisetech Global, Rio Tinto, Treasury Wine Estates, Gpt, National Australia Bank.


ASX Short Interest Weekly (May 30th): Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Evolution Mining, Westpac, Goodman

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>Ready-mix concrete production shows signs of stabilisation with modest improvements expected in the latter half of 2025.</li><li>Regionally, Auckland and Otago/Southland show year-on-year volume growth, indicating a potential uptick in construction activity.</li><li>Fletcher Building's upcoming investor day will provide further insights, with market expectations of a 10%-15% decline in FY25 volumes.</li></ul>

Ready-mix concrete production shows signs of stabilisation with modest improvements expected in the latter half of 2025.Regionally, Auckland and Otago/Southland show year-on-year volume growth, indicating a potential uptick in construction activity.Fletcher Building's upcoming investor day will provide further insights, with market expectations of a 10%-15% decline in FY25 volumes.

Building Sector Ready-Mix Concrete—Levelling Off

New Zealand

Fletcher Building Limited manufactures, distributes, and sells materials for the building industry including wood fiber-based products, cement and aggregates, plasterboard, laminates, lumber, and aluminium extrusion. The Company operates primarily in New Zealand and Australia.

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Fletcher Building (FBU NZ)

Fletcher Building - 1H25 Result—Light at the End of a Long Tunnel

Fletcher Building (FBU) reported 1H25 EBIT down -37%, reflecting a cyclically weak operating backdrop but slightly exceeding our and market...

Forsyth Barr

Fletcher Building - 1H25 Preview—Where to Next?

Fletcher Building (FBU) will report its 1H25 result on Wednesday, 19 February. We expect EBIT to decline -38% to NZ$162m, driven by broad-based...

Forsyth Barr

Reece (REH AU): Positioning Increases as Global Index Deletion Nears

Reece is a high probability deletion from a global index next month. Short interest has surged over the last few months. Despite underperforming...

Brian Freitas

ASX Short Interest Weekly (May 30th): Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Evolution Mining, Westpac, Goodman

We analyzed ASX short interest report for the past week and highlight short interest changes in Sigma Pharmaceuticals (SIG AU), Evolution Mining...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Building Sector Ready-Mix Concrete—Levelling Off

Fletcher Building's upcoming investor day will provide further insights, with market expectations of a 10%-15% decline in FY25 volumes.

Forsyth Barr

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