Director, Head of Research, Smartkarma

Pranav Rao

Director, Head of Research

Smartkarma

Smartkarma unites the fragmented investment industry, connecting institutional investors, independent research providers, and corporates within a single network.

Research Reinvented

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>Welcome to Curator’s Cut - a fortnightly roundup of standout themes from the 1,600+ insights shared on Smartkarma.</li>
<li>In this cut, we go looking for value in Korea beyond memory, weigh SHEIN's long-awaited IPO, and trace how TOPIX's reshuffle could lift small-cap Japanese banks.</li>
<li>Want to dig deeper? Comment or message with the themes you'd like to see highlighted next.</li>
</ul>


Welcome to Curator’s Cut - a fortnightly roundup of standout themes from the 1,600+ insights shared on Smartkarma.
In this cut, we go looking for value in Korea beyond memory, weigh SHEIN's long-awaited IPO, and trace how TOPIX's reshuffle could lift small-cap Japanese banks.
Want to dig deeper? Comment or message with the themes you'd like to see highlighted next.


Curator's Cut: Korea Beyond Memory, SHEIN's Hong Kong Bow & TOPIX's Tailwind for Banks

Chief Executive Officer, Emmer Capital Partners Limited

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Chief Executive Officer

Emmer Capital Partners Limited

Emmer Capital Partners is an Asia Pacific focused financial advisory firm engaging in strategic financial asset allocation advice, bespoke thematic research and advising early-stage companies and connecting them to investors. Emmer Capital provides macro-economic and multi-asset investment strategy inputs to institutions, family offices, private wealth managers, private equity, and corporate boards directly and through independent research platforms. Emmer Capital also advises a wide range of startup companies on fund raising and business strategy. Emmer Capital's active engagement with the print and electronic media reaches a broad spectrum of investors across the globe.

Equity Bottom-Up

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) / Equity Bottom-Up

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) (2330 TT)

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing)

<ul>
<li>Since the last rebalancing on 30th January, our portfolio appreciated 3.4% against MSCI Asia-ex-Japan's 1%. Since inception on May 15, 2025, our portfolio has appreciated 35.8%, vs MXASJ's 32.8%. </li>
<li>Since last reshuffle, the portfolio was driven by Korea (2.57% return contribution), Taiwan (1.3%) and India (0.75%). Four Chinese internet stocks, Alibaba, Tencent, Tencent Music and Netease, contributed -1.97% return.</li>
<li>We now exclude Dr Lal Pathlabs in India and include Tata Steel. We also include Maybank in Malaysia. All our inclusions have seen sharp EPS estimate upgrades lately.</li>
</ul>


Since the last rebalancing on 30th January, our portfolio appreciated 3.4% against MSCI Asia-ex-Japan's 1%. Since inception on May 15, 2025, our portfolio has appreciated 35.8%, vs MXASJ's 32.8%. 
Since last reshuffle, the portfolio was driven by Korea (2.57% return contribution), Taiwan (1.3%) and India (0.75%). Four Chinese internet stocks, Alibaba, Tencent, Tencent Music and Netease, contributed -1.97% return.
We now exclude Dr Lal Pathlabs in India and include Tata Steel. We also include Maybank in Malaysia. All our inclusions have seen sharp EPS estimate upgrades lately.


Asian Equities: Model Portfolio - We Reshuffle India, Add Malaysia; Korea Remains Biggest Overweight

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

Event-Driven

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 / Event-Driven

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 (KOSPI2 INDEX EQUITY)

<ul>
<li>Since short selling was banned in November 2023, short interest has plunged in Korea as shorts were covered. Markets have not done much over the last 16 months though. </li>
<li>Foreign investor holdings have dropped from 32.05% in July to 28.57%. The top 25 stocks bought by foreign investors outperformed the top 25 stocks sold by 128% in 16 months.</li>
<li>There will be trade opportunities across indices, pref/ords, index migrations and deletions, potential market upgrades and overvalued stocks being sold.</li>
</ul>


Since short selling was banned in November 2023, short interest has plunged in Korea as shorts were covered. Markets have not done much over the last 16 months though. 
Foreign investor holdings have dropped from 32.05% in July to 28.57%. The top 25 stocks bought by foreign investors outperformed the top 25 stocks sold by 128% in 16 months.
There will be trade opportunities across indices, pref/ords, index migrations and deletions, potential market upgrades and overvalued stocks being sold.


Korea: Short Selling Is Back in March; Trade Ideas

Global Equities, Multi-Asset PM, Dantes Outlook

Damanick Dantes, CMT

Global Equities, Multi-Asset PM

Dantes Outlook

We invest over a full market cycle, using multi-asset portfolios tailored to each global client, from individuals to family offices.

Built to Endure

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>CTAs are positioned in Asia uptrends, but the stocks that support it are losing momentum.</li>
<li>We uncovered stocks that sit outside the CTA trade that may be less vulnerable to outflows.</li>
<li>Tech uptrends remain intact, just lower their weight and make room for less volatile trends in financials.</li>
</ul>


CTAs are positioned in Asia uptrends, but the stocks that support it are losing momentum.
We uncovered stocks that sit outside the CTA trade that may be less vulnerable to outflows.
Tech uptrends remain intact, just lower their weight and make room for less volatile trends in financials.


CTA Trend Picks in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan

<ul>
<li>Asia's PE at 10% discount to long-term mean, driven by Korea, Taiwan's earnings boom. P/BV is at 10% premium. All market valuations barring Taiwan are near or below long-term means.</li>
<li>Considering current valuations relative to long-term averages, Korea seems destined for rerating. Onshore China seems near bottom. HK looks attractive but the ongoing DM yield spike could keep valuations depressed.</li>
<li>Indian valuations, marginally above long-term means, look attractive but could remain depressed while DM rates stay high and Dollar stays strong. Taiwan valuations are not discounting a cyclical earnings peak.</li>
</ul>


Asia's PE at 10% discount to long-term mean, driven by Korea, Taiwan's earnings boom. P/BV is at 10% premium. All market valuations barring Taiwan are near or below long-term means.
Considering current valuations relative to long-term averages, Korea seems destined for rerating. Onshore China seems near bottom. HK looks attractive but the ongoing DM yield spike could keep valuations depressed.
Indian valuations, marginally above long-term means, look attractive but could remain depressed while DM rates stay high and Dollar stays strong. Taiwan valuations are not discounting a cyclical earnings peak.


Asian Equities: Valuation Mean Reversion Done for Some Markets, Not for Others

South Korea

Hana Financial Group Inc., in accordance with Financial Holding Companies Act, was established on December 1, 2005, through stock transfer with the former shareholders of its subsidiaries in order to provide management services and financing to associated companies.

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Hana Financial (086790 KS)

Curator's Cut: Korea Beyond Memory, SHEIN's Hong Kong Bow & TOPIX's Tailwind for Banks

Discover names outside memory in Korea, review SHEIN's IPO, and understand TOPIX's impact on small-cap Japanese banks in this fortnightly...

Pranav Rao

Asian Equities: Model Portfolio - We Reshuffle India, Add Malaysia; Korea Remains Biggest Overweight

Our Portfolio outperformed MXASJ since last reshuffle & since inception, driven by KR, TW & IN. We include reasonably valued stocks with strong...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Korea: Short Selling Is Back in March; Trade Ideas

Short selling in Korea commences from Monday. There will be a lot of interest in shorting stocks/sectors depending on how they have performed since...

Brian Freitas

CTA Trend Picks in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan

Trend followers are long Asian equities, but the mega-cap leaders are decelerating. If CTAs unwind, what survives? Hold strength at lower weights...

Damanick Dantes, CMT

Asian Equities: Valuation Mean Reversion Done for Some Markets, Not for Others

All Asian market valuations barring TW are near or below long-term mean. KR and CN seem set to rerate. HK and India could remain depressed as long...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Curator's Cut: Korea Beyond Memory, SHEIN's Hong Kong Bow & TOPIX's Tailwind for Banks

​Discover names outside memory in Korea, review SHEIN's IPO, and understand TOPIX's impact on small-cap Japanese banks in this fortnightly...

Pranav Rao

Asian Equities: Model Portfolio - We Reshuffle India, Add Malaysia; Korea Remains Biggest Overweight

​Our Portfolio outperformed MXASJ since last reshuffle & since inception, driven by KR, TW & IN. We include reasonably valued stocks with strong...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Korea: Short Selling Is Back in March; Trade Ideas

Short selling in Korea commences from Monday. There will be a lot of interest in shorting stocks/sectors depending on how they have performed since...

Brian Freitas

CTA Trend Picks in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan

Trend followers are long Asian equities, but the mega-cap leaders are decelerating. If CTAs unwind, what survives? Hold strength at lower weights...

Damanick Dantes, CMT

Asian Equities: Valuation Mean Reversion Done for Some Markets, Not for Others

All Asian market valuations barring TW are near or below long-term mean. KR and CN seem set to rerate. HK and India could remain depressed as long...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Discover names outside memory in Korea, review SHEIN's IPO, and understand TOPIX's impact on small-cap Japanese banks in this fortnightly...

Our Portfolio outperformed MXASJ since last reshuffle & since inception, driven by KR, TW & IN. We include reasonably valued stocks with strong...