'Quantamental' Japan Specialist, LightStream Research

Campbell Gunn

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist

ja research

ja research is an independent research platform focused exclusively on Japanese equities. Leveraging data and graphic analysis provided by Japan Analytics, we provide insights on small and medium-sized companies that have been ignored by the sell-side as well as challenging conventional wisdom on larger companies. We also offer analyst and corporate access, the latter with translation if required. 

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/118/403/original/2020-02-18_08-44-22.png?1581983074" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="118403"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/118/404/original/2020-02-18_08-42-56.png?1581983098" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="118404"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>THREE-YEAR LOW - With <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bridgestone-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8914:1" rel="noopener">Bridgestone (5108 JP)</a>'s results and revision now added, our final tally for this season is a 196 basis point decline in our Results Sore - the lowest since March 2017.  In contrast, the Forecast/Revision Score reached a three-month high as the 470 companies with December year-ends put an optimistic gloss on their medium-term outlook. As we have noted in our recent daily roundups, a normal precondition for a cycle low is for the Forecast/Revision Score to rise above the Results Score. Forecast/Revision Score peaks and troughs usually occur one to two quarters ahead of those for the Results Score.  Covid-19's impact will likely see the 2016 'playbook' repeated next quarter with a lower Results Score and a 'sideways' Forecast/Results Score. The Results Score cycle low point will be reached with the mostly-interim results to be released in six months. <figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/118/405/original/2020-02-18_09-29-28.png?1581985792" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="118405"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>LEADING INDICATOR - By including several momentum factors into our Scoring (see below), we can provide a better indication of future business conditions. Indeed there is a 0.83 correlation between the Cabinet Office's Business Condition Leading Indicator and the Forecast/Revision Score. Reported earnings, as well as company forecasts, are lagging indicators and, as shown in Part 1 of this Insight. Both data series peaked one year after our Scores and the market peaked in early 2018. SCORING METHODOLOGY - For those new to these Insights, we briefly recap our scoring methodology below:-<ul>
<li>Results Scores are calculated using the most recent eight quarters of company data for Revenues, Operating Income and Operating Margin and, for each, measure the rate, degree and consistency of change. The Results Score has a maximum of +30 and a minimum of -30 for each period. Our data series commences from the time a particular company issues quarterly results. The sample size becomes significant from March 2005.</li>
<li>The Forecast/Revision Score is based on both Annual and Interim period company forecasts and compares changes from previous forecasts as well as against the trailing twelve-month (TTM) or previous first-half results, with annual forecasts being double-weighted. This Score also has a maximum of +30 and a minimum of -30 for each period.  For this series, our data samples start from August 2008.</li>
<li>The combined Results &amp; Revision Score (RRS) is the average of the Results Score and the Forecasts/Revision Score.</li>
<li>
All company Scores are then cap-weight-aggregated into Sector, Peer Group and Market Composite Scores for which the seventeen-year monthly and two-year daily track records are shown above. Only currently listed-companies are covered in the aggregate Scores, and the Total Market Capitalisation excludes delisted entities. REITs are not included.
<hr>
• SECTOR SCORES •
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/118/410/original/2020-02-18_09-55-29.png?1581987489" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="118410"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>
In the DETAIL Section below, we provide a detailed breakdown of our RRS Scoring for Sectors, Peer Groups and individual companies, highlighting this quarter's 'winners' and 'losers'. The chart above shows a  seventeen-year 'timeline' of the cap-weight-aggregated Sector RRS Scores and the ebbs and flows around the business cycles. The Metals Sector is the most volatile on the downside and has yet to 'bottom' this cycle. Technology Hardware appears to have already rebounded; however, Covid-19 suggests this Sector may relapse. On the upside, the Information Technology Sector has replaced the Internet and Telecoms Sectors as the contra-cyclical 'champion'. 
</li>
</ul>

Source • Japan AnalyticsTHREE-YEAR LOW - With Bridgestone (5108 JP)'s results and revision now added, our final tally for this season is a 196 basis point decline in our Results Sore - the lowest since March 2017.  In contrast, the Forecast/Revision Score reached a three-month high as the 470 companies with December year-ends put an optimistic gloss on their medium-term outlook. As we have noted in our recent daily roundups, a normal precondition for a cycle low is for the Forecast/Revision Score to rise above the Results Score. Forecast/Revision Score peaks and troughs usually occur one to two quarters ahead of those for the Results Score.  Covid-19's impact will likely see the 2016 'playbook' repeated next quarter with a lower Results Score and a 'sideways' Forecast/Results Score. The Results Score cycle low point will be reached with the mostly-interim results to be released in six months. Source • Japan AnalyticsLEADING INDICATOR - By including several momentum factors into our Scoring (see below), we can provide a better indication of future business conditions. Indeed there is a 0.83 correlation between the Cabinet Office's Business Condition Leading Indicator and the Forecast/Revision Score. Reported earnings, as well as company forecasts, are lagging indicators and, as shown in Part 1 of this Insight. Both data series peaked one year after our Scores and the market peaked in early 2018. SCORING METHODOLOGY - For those new to these Insights, we briefly recap our scoring methodology below:-
Results Scores are calculated using the most recent eight quarters of company data for Revenues, Operating Income and Operating Margin and, for each, measure the rate, degree and consistency of change. The Results Score has a maximum of +30 and a minimum of -30 for each period. Our data series commences from the time a particular company issues quarterly results. The sample size becomes significant from March 2005.
The Forecast/Revision Score is based on both Annual and Interim period company forecasts and compares changes from previous forecasts as well as against the trailing twelve-month (TTM) or previous first-half results, with annual forecasts being double-weighted. This Score also has a maximum of +30 and a minimum of -30 for each period.  For this series, our data samples start from August 2008.
The combined Results &amp; Revision Score (RRS) is the average of the Results Score and the Forecasts/Revision Score.

All company Scores are then cap-weight-aggregated into Sector, Peer Group and Market Composite Scores for which the seventeen-year monthly and two-year daily track records are shown above. Only currently listed-companies are covered in the aggregate Scores, and the Total Market Capitalisation excludes delisted entities. REITs are not included.

• SECTOR SCORES •
Source • Japan Analytics
In the DETAIL Section below, we provide a detailed breakdown of our RRS Scoring for Sectors, Peer Groups and individual companies, highlighting this quarter's 'winners' and 'losers'. The chart above shows a  seventeen-year 'timeline' of the cap-weight-aggregated Sector RRS Scores and the ebbs and flows around the business cycles. The Metals Sector is the most volatile on the downside and has yet to 'bottom' this cycle. Technology Hardware appears to have already rebounded; however, Covid-19 suggests this Sector may relapse. On the upside, the Information Technology Sector has replaced the Internet and Telecoms Sectors as the contra-cyclical 'champion'. 



🇯🇵 JAPAN • IT’S A WRAP! Part 2: 2020-Q1 Results & Revision Scores

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/117/227/original/2020-02-11_05-05-13.png?1581376613" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="117227"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>10TH FEBRUARY ROUNDUP - 189 results and 93 revision announcements had little impact on our aggregate Scores, although decliners still outweighed improvers by a factor of two times. Amongst larger caps, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mitsubishi-estate-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:566:1" rel="noopener">Mitsubishi Estate (8802 JP)</a> produced the best quarter-on-quarter change in Score, with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sundrug-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12615:1" rel="noopener">Sundrug (9989 JP)</a> being one of the worst. Today is a public holiday (kenkoku kinen no hi), and so the next roundup will appear on Wednesday morning. <hr>• SECTOR TIMELINE •<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/117/228/original/2020-02-11_05-08-14.png?1581377317" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="117228"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>SECTOR TIMELINE - Monday's main moves were upwards for Real Estate and Media (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hakuhodo-dy-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8736:1" rel="noopener">Hakuhodo DY (2433 JP)</a>) and downwards (again) for Other Commercial Products (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hamamatsu-photonics-kk" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14074:1" rel="noopener">Hamamatsu Photonics (6965 JP)</a>) and Building Materials (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nichias-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14674:1" rel="noopener">Nichias (5393 JP)</a>).

Source • Japan Analytics10TH FEBRUARY ROUNDUP - 189 results and 93 revision announcements had little impact on our aggregate Scores, although decliners still outweighed improvers by a factor of two times. Amongst larger caps, Mitsubishi Estate (8802 JP) produced the best quarter-on-quarter change in Score, with Sundrug (9989 JP) being one of the worst. Today is a public holiday (kenkoku kinen no hi), and so the next roundup will appear on Wednesday morning. • SECTOR TIMELINE •Source • Japan AnalyticsSECTOR TIMELINE - Monday's main moves were upwards for Real Estate and Media (Hakuhodo DY (2433 JP)) and downwards (again) for Other Commercial Products (Hamamatsu Photonics (6965 JP)) and Building Materials (Nichias (5393 JP)). 

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions Daily Roundup - 10th February ▲7003 8802 2433 ▼6965 9989 6324

Korea / Special Situations, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Situations

The whitelist lifting means that Japan is now able to export restrict about 1,200 materials/products to Korea. It is expected that Japan will unveil more details of the next measures on Aug 8. Until then, it's only a guessing game. Even after Aug 8, it is very possible that we won't have any clearer visual on the situation. Probably, this is what the Japanese government wants: creating uncertainties one after another. Nonetheless, we are not short of local speculations about which specific products or materials to be export restricted in the next round. Here are the 4 strong candidates being speculated by local media and industry experts.<ol>
<li>Silicon wafer</li>
<li>Shadow mask (FMM: fine metal mask)</li>
<li>Image sensor</li>
<li>Li-ion battery separator</li>
</ol>

The whitelist lifting means that Japan is now able to export restrict about 1,200 materials/products to Korea. It is expected that Japan will unveil more details of the next measures on Aug 8. Until then, it's only a guessing game. Even after Aug 8, it is very possible that we won't have any clearer visual on the situation. Probably, this is what the Japanese government wants: creating uncertainties one after another. Nonetheless, we are not short of local speculations about which specific products or materials to be export restricted in the next round. Here are the 4 strong candidates being speculated by local media and industry experts.
Silicon wafer
Shadow mask (FMM: fine metal mask)
Image sensor
Li-ion battery separator


Japan's Second Round of Export Restrictions Against Korea: 4 Candidate Products

Asia L/S Equity PM/Macro/Thematic Idea Generation

Rikki Malik

Equity Bottom-Up

Hamamatsu Photonics Kk / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>We look at another Japanese company in the AI capex supply chain</li>
<li>A company misclassified into TOPIX Precision Instruments, not Semiconductor Equipment</li>
<li>Sits at the intersection of 3 megatrends, where revenue is yet to contribute meaningfully</li>
</ul>


We look at another Japanese company in the AI capex supply chain
A company misclassified into TOPIX Precision Instruments, not Semiconductor Equipment
Sits at the intersection of 3 megatrends, where revenue is yet to contribute meaningfully


Tactical Trading – Hidden, Japanese AI Capex Beneficiary #2

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

We view weakness in global equity markets over the past week as correcting a significant amount of the excess optimism. We recommend taking advantage of the pullback by adding exposure to our favorite areas - namely Technology. Our overall outlook on global equities (both the MSCI ACWI and ACWI ex-US) remains positive and we continue to expect higher equity prices going forward.  In today’s report we provide a technical appraisal of all major markets and highlight actionable stocks throughout the int’l Technology and Communications sectors.

We view weakness in global equity markets over the past week as correcting a significant amount of the excess optimism. We recommend taking advantage of the pullback by adding exposure to our favorite areas - namely Technology. Our overall outlook on global equities (both the MSCI ACWI and ACWI ex-US) remains positive and we continue to expect higher equity prices going forward.  In today’s report we provide a technical appraisal of all major markets and highlight actionable stocks throughout the int’l Technology and Communications sectors.

Global-Ex-U.S. Equity Strategy: Add Exposure To Technology, Communications

Japan

HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K. manufactures electron tubes, semiconductors, and image processors.  The Company's products include photosensitive electronic tubes, optical/image sensors, X-ray related products, laser related products, photodiodes, light-emitting diodes (LED) and video camera used for measuring equipment.

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Hamamatsu Photonics Kk (6965 JP)

🇯🇵 JAPAN • IT’S A WRAP! Part 2: 2020-Q1 Results & Revision Scores

THREE-YEAR LOW - With Bridgestone (5108 JP)'s results and revision now added, our final tally for this season is a 196 basis point decline in our...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions Daily Roundup - 10th February ▲7003 8802 2433 ▼6965 9989 6324

10TH FEBRUARY ROUNDUP - 189 results and 93 revision announcements had little impact on our aggregate Scores, although decliners still outweighed...

Campbell Gunn

Japan's Second Round of Export Restrictions Against Korea: 4 Candidate Products

The whitelist lifting means that Japan is now able to export restrict about 1,200 materials/products to Korea. It is expected that Japan will...

Sanghyun Park

Tactical Trading – Hidden, Japanese AI Capex Beneficiary #2

Another Japanese beneficiary in the AI capex supply chain, positioned at the intersection of 3 megatrends driving growth

Rikki Malik

Global-Ex-U.S. Equity Strategy: Add Exposure To Technology, Communications

We view weakness in global equity markets over the past week as correcting a significant amount of the excess optimism. We recommend taking...

Vermilion Research

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