Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Douglas Research Advisory

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>In this insight, we discuss how Buffett's increased stakes in Japanese trading companies could positively impact Korean trading companies.</li>
<li>In addition, we look back at the past five years and compare how the major Korean trading companies have performed relative to their Japanese counterparts. </li>
<li>In Korea, we believe that the following 5 major Korean trading companies (POSCO International, Hanwha Corp, LX International, Samsung Corp, and Hyundai Corp) could continue to outperform the market.</li>
</ul>


In this insight, we discuss how Buffett's increased stakes in Japanese trading companies could positively impact Korean trading companies.
In addition, we look back at the past five years and compare how the major Korean trading companies have performed relative to their Japanese counterparts. 
In Korea, we believe that the following 5 major Korean trading companies (POSCO International, Hanwha Corp, LX International, Samsung Corp, and Hyundai Corp) could continue to outperform the market.


Warren Buffett's Increased Stakes in Japanese Trading Houses - Impact on Korean Trading Companies

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>In this insight, we provide the top 10 stocks picks in the Korean stock market for the two weeks starting 17 February.</li>
<li>The top 10 stock picks (bi-weekly) include Hyundai G.F. Holding, Binggrae, Cheil Worldwide, Hana Tour, Samsung Electronics (pref), Samsung E&amp;A, Hyundai Elevator, KT Corp, Orion Corp, and Samsung Life Insurance. </li>
<li>We started to incorporate top negative catalysts along with positive catalysts in our top stock picks bi-weekly. Top negative catalyst is tariffs. We tried to exclude companies exposed to tariffs.</li>
</ul>


In this insight, we provide the top 10 stocks picks in the Korean stock market for the two weeks starting 17 February.
The top 10 stock picks (bi-weekly) include Hyundai G.F. Holding, Binggrae, Cheil Worldwide, Hana Tour, Samsung Electronics (pref), Samsung E&amp;A, Hyundai Elevator, KT Corp, Orion Corp, and Samsung Life Insurance. 
We started to incorporate top negative catalysts along with positive catalysts in our top stock picks bi-weekly. Top negative catalyst is tariffs. We tried to exclude companies exposed to tariffs.


Top 10 Korean Stock Picks Bi-Weekly (17 February 2025)

<ul>
<li>Samsung Electronics announced that it will revamp its executive compensation system to include treasury shares as incentives. Samsung has benchmarked TSMC in terms of paying treasury shares to its employees.</li>
<li>Samsung Electronics' decision to revamp its executive compensation system to include treasury shares as incentives aligns the interests of the shareholders along with the company's management.</li>
<li>Now that Samsung Electronics has incorporated stock based incentive system, it is likely that other Korean companies that could follow suit. </li>
</ul>


Samsung Electronics announced that it will revamp its executive compensation system to include treasury shares as incentives. Samsung has benchmarked TSMC in terms of paying treasury shares to its employees.
Samsung Electronics' decision to revamp its executive compensation system to include treasury shares as incentives aligns the interests of the shareholders along with the company's management.
Now that Samsung Electronics has incorporated stock based incentive system, it is likely that other Korean companies that could follow suit. 


Samsung Electronics: Revamping Executive Compensation to Include Stocks - Benchmarking TSMC

<ul>
<li>In this insight, we highlight the recent pricing gap divergences of the major Korean holdcos and opcos which could provide trading opportunities in 1Q 2025.</li>
<li>The recent martial law cancellation and numerous impeachments of acting Presidents have raised political uncertainty in Korea resulting in widening of some gaps among numerous holdcos and opcos in Korea.</li>
<li>Of the 38 pair trades, 25 of them involved holdcos outperforming opcos in the past six months and the other 13 opcos outperforming holdcos in the same period.</li>
</ul>


In this insight, we highlight the recent pricing gap divergences of the major Korean holdcos and opcos which could provide trading opportunities in 1Q 2025.
The recent martial law cancellation and numerous impeachments of acting Presidents have raised political uncertainty in Korea resulting in widening of some gaps among numerous holdcos and opcos in Korea.
Of the 38 pair trades, 25 of them involved holdcos outperforming opcos in the past six months and the other 13 opcos outperforming holdcos in the same period.


Korean Holdcos Vs Opcos Gap Trading Opportunities in 1Q 2025

<ul>
<li>S&amp;P500 is up 27.7% YTD, outperforming KOSPI which is down 6.9% YTD. Global fund flow continues to pour into top quality US stocks such as Palantir, Tesla, and NVIDIA.</li>
<li>The top 20 best performing stocks in KOSPI 200 are up on average 106.8% YTD. However, the remaining 180 stocks in KOSPI 200 are down on average 9.2% YTD. </li>
<li>There is no large Palantir-like company that deals with AI/data analytics in Korea. However, large cap IT services and telcos in Korea are increasingly expanding their AI/data analytics related business.</li>
</ul>


S&amp;P500 is up 27.7% YTD, outperforming KOSPI which is down 6.9% YTD. Global fund flow continues to pour into top quality US stocks such as Palantir, Tesla, and NVIDIA.
The top 20 best performing stocks in KOSPI 200 are up on average 106.8% YTD. However, the remaining 180 stocks in KOSPI 200 are down on average 9.2% YTD. 
There is no large Palantir-like company that deals with AI/data analytics in Korea. However, large cap IT services and telcos in Korea are increasingly expanding their AI/data analytics related business.


A Comparison of KOSPI 200 and S&P 500 Companies Performances in 2024

South Korea

Hanwha Corporation imports and exports petrochemicals, machinery, automotives, electronics, and steel.  The Company also produces explosives for the defense and construction industries.  In addition, Hanwha manufactures automotive airbag inflators and telecommunication equipment, such as wireless phones and provides financial services through its subsidiaries.

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Hanwha Corporation (000880 KS)

Warren Buffett's Increased Stakes in Japanese Trading Houses - Impact on Korean Trading Companies

In this insight, we discuss how Buffett's increased stakes in Japanese trading companies could positively impact Korean trading companies.

Douglas Kim

Top 10 Korean Stock Picks Bi-Weekly (17 February 2025)

The top 10 stock picks (bi-weekly) include Hyundai G.F. Holding, Binggrae, Cheil Worldwide, Hana Tour, Samsung Electronics (pref), Samsung E&A,...

Douglas Kim

Samsung Electronics: Revamping Executive Compensation to Include Stocks - Benchmarking TSMC

Samsung Electronics announced it will revamp its executive compensation system to include treasury shares as incentives, better aligning the...

Douglas Kim

Korean Holdcos Vs Opcos Gap Trading Opportunities in 1Q 2025

In this insight, we highlight the recent pricing gap divergences of the major Korean holdcos and opcos which could provide trading opportunities in...

Douglas Kim

A Comparison of KOSPI 200 and S&P 500 Companies Performances in 2024

There is no large Palantir-like company that deals with AI/data analytics in Korea. However, large cap IT services and telcos in Korea are...

Douglas Kim

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