Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/katakura-industries-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2007:1" rel="noopener">Katakura Industries (3001 JP)</a> MBO has been in danger since Day 1 as the shares have yet to trade below terms. It was cheap, but it was an exit.</li>
<li>The activist-ish investor who agreed to tender their shares into the MBO left themselves an out if another investor came over the top. One did. </li>
<li>The investor who came over the top has a brief history as "activist" on cash- and asset-rich smallcaps. We don't know yet where this will go.</li>
</ul>


The Katakura Industries (3001 JP) MBO has been in danger since Day 1 as the shares have yet to trade below terms. It was cheap, but it was an exit.
The activist-ish investor who agreed to tender their shares into the MBO left themselves an out if another investor came over the top. One did. 
The investor who came over the top has a brief history as "activist" on cash- and asset-rich smallcaps. We don't know yet where this will go.


Katakura (3001) Tender In Danger As New Player Displaces Activist Who Agreed To Tender

David Blennerhassett

Beijing Capital Land Ltd H / Event-Driven

<div>
<p>This insight provides a quick summary of gross/annualised (where possible) spreads (on deals discussed on Smartkarma) across Asia-Pacific as at the last trading date, and how those spreads have changed over the last week; plus the next hard events over the coming weeks.</p>
<p>I number 36, mostly firm, deals around the region.</p>
<p>More below the fold.</p>
</div>


This insight provides a quick summary of gross/annualised (where possible) spreads (on deals discussed on Smartkarma) across Asia-Pacific as at the last trading date, and how those spreads have changed over the last week; plus the next hard events over the coming weeks.
I number 36, mostly firm, deals around the region.
More below the fold.


Asia-Pac Weekly Risk Arb Summary: Beijing Capital Land, Suchuang Gas, Siam Dev, 1300Smiles

<p>Last night, Singapore-based fund Aslead Capital Pte announced that it would launch a Tender Offer on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fuji-kosan-company-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17867:1" rel="noopener">Fuji Kosan Company (5009 JP)</a> to take at least a 40% stake and possibly full control after ownership and approaches did not lead to "satisfactory" measures to improve corporate value. </p>
<p>The shareholder had been acquiring shares since last year. It first went above 5% in August 2020 and until yesterday had most recently reported a 14.83% stake on 4 February. </p>
<p>The stock has an <em>interesting</em> set of investors, and was for many years in the early to mid-2010s a poster child for tiny cap deep value investment targets. </p>
<p>As of the announcement, Aslead states that it owns 16.8% which means to get to 40.0%, it needs only 23.2% of shares out - of the 83.2% it does not own. </p>
<p>The company has been building an 'interesting' set of shareholders and relationships. One activist sold last year to be replaced by another. There is someone infamous from the tabloids. This could be fun to watch. It will certainly trade through terms early. The question then is what next?</p>
<p>There is a behind-the-scenes link to the family office responsible for the single most fun <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/messages/%20https:/y-n10.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">family office website</a> ever made (after you press enter, check on the left side to see the sound is on and if you need to read the text more smoothly switch from angled to vertical just above the sound on/off section). </p>

Last night, Singapore-based fund Aslead Capital Pte announced that it would launch a Tender Offer on Fuji Kosan Company (5009 JP) to take at least a 40% stake and possibly full control after ownership and approaches did not lead to "satisfactory" measures to improve corporate value. 
The shareholder had been acquiring shares since last year. It first went above 5% in August 2020 and until yesterday had most recently reported a 14.83% stake on 4 February. 
The stock has an interesting set of investors, and was for many years in the early to mid-2010s a poster child for tiny cap deep value investment targets. 
As of the announcement, Aslead states that it owns 16.8% which means to get to 40.0%, it needs only 23.2% of shares out - of the 83.2% it does not own. 
The company has been building an 'interesting' set of shareholders and relationships. One activist sold last year to be replaced by another. There is someone infamous from the tabloids. This could be fun to watch. It will certainly trade through terms early. The question then is what next?
There is a behind-the-scenes link to the family office responsible for the single most fun family office website ever made (after you press enter, check on the left side to see the sound is on and if you need to read the text more smoothly switch from angled to vertical just above the sound on/off section). 

Aslead Capital Hostile Offer for Fuji Kosan (5009)

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist, LightStream Research

Campbell Gunn

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>• BEST &amp; WORST •</strong></p></div><div>
<p>Thursday's best and worst pairing is <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mcdonald-s-holdings-co-japan" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:985:1" rel="noopener">Mcdonald's Japan (2702 JP)</a> and ad agency <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hakuhodo-dy-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8736:1" rel="noopener">Hakuhodo (2433 JP)</a>.</p>
<section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/171/166/original/2020-11-13_06-23-39.png?1605216232" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="171166"></figure></section><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/171/167/original/2020-11-13_06-24-59.png?1605216326" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="171167"></figure></section>
</div><div><div class="content-caption">Source for all charts &amp; tables: Japan Analytics</div></div><hr><div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>DAILY STATS</strong></p></div><hr><div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>384 Quarterly Results</strong></p></div><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><p><strong>Results Score:</strong> 42% Positive / 8% Neutral / 49% Negative</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Average Results Score Change:</strong> -0.9 points</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Average % Change in Revenue:</strong> -6.9% Quarter YoY / -3.2% Rolling TTM YoY </p></li>
<li><p><strong>Average Operating Profit Margin Change:</strong> -3.7 ppt</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Percentage Making Quarterly Losses:</strong> 23%</p></li>
</ul></div><hr><div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>142 Annual • 15 Interim Forecasts/Revisions</strong></p></div><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><p><strong>Annual Forecast/Revision Score</strong>: 41% Positive / 13% Neutral / 46% Negative</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Interim Forecast/Revision Score Change:</strong> 47% Positive / 13% Neutral / 40% Negative</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Average Forecast/Revision Score Change:</strong> -1.9 points</p></li>
</ul></div>

• BEST &amp; WORST •
Thursday's best and worst pairing is Mcdonald's Japan (2702 JP) and ad agency Hakuhodo (2433 JP).

Source for all charts &amp; tables: Japan AnalyticsDAILY STATS384 Quarterly Results
Results Score: 42% Positive / 8% Neutral / 49% Negative
Average Results Score Change: -0.9 points
Average % Change in Revenue: -6.9% Quarter YoY / -3.2% Rolling TTM YoY 
Average Operating Profit Margin Change: -3.7 ppt
Percentage Making Quarterly Losses: 23%
142 Annual • 15 Interim Forecasts/Revisions
Annual Forecast/Revision Score: 41% Positive / 13% Neutral / 46% Negative
Interim Forecast/Revision Score Change: 47% Positive / 13% Neutral / 40% Negative
Average Forecast/Revision Score Change: -1.9 points


🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 11/​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​12 McDonald's, Nissan, Hikari, H'hodo

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/143/496/original/2020-06-30_14-16-44.png?1593494217" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="143496"></figure>
<div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>
<p><strong>THE CASH CONVERSION CYCLE</strong> - Net Working Capital is a measure of how efficiently a company manages its short-term assets and liabilities to generate cash and is also known as the Cash Conversion Cycle. In practice, Net Working Capital is scaled by the number of days of Revenue or Cost of Goods Sold that are 'tied' up in three components - Receivables, Inventory, and Payables.</p>
<p><strong>Net Working Capital Days</strong> varies by industry and the lower the number, the better. Amounts over 210 days are excessive, and a sign of business stress.  Net Working Capital is defined as:-</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>+ Receivables/Revenue </strong>- the average number of days required to collect on sales. Businesses usually extend a degree of credit to non-cash customers.  Receivables Days over 100 are excessive.</li>
<li>
<strong>+ Inventory/Cost of Goods Sold -</strong> the average number of days it takes to sell out of Inventory. Amounts vary widely by industry but days over 210 are excessive.</li>
<li>- <strong>Payables/Cost of Goods Sold -</strong>the average number of days the company takes to settle transactions with suppliers. By extending nominally interest-free credit, suppliers provide operating leverage to a business. A larger negative number is better, but days less than -100 are excessive.</li>
</ul>
<p>The relationship between Receivables and Payables should also be considered particularly where the company is giving more generous credit terms to its customers than it receives from its suppliers. The Cash Conversion Cycle for the aggregate of all non-financial currently-listed Japanese companies has averaged 77 days over the last thirty years. However, over the previous twelve months., a fourteen-day rise in Inventory Days during the last four years has pushed Net Working Capital Days to 93.</p>
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/143/529/original/2020-06-30_15-09-41.png?1593497395" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="143529"></figure>
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/143/530/original/2020-06-30_15-10-32.png?1593497471" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="143530"></figure>
<div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>
<div class="content-caption"></div>
<p><strong>NET WORKING CAPITAL DAYS AS A STRESS TEST</strong> - The correlation between Net Working Capital Days and relative performance varies by company and by Sectors. The examples above show how signals can be heeded -  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikon-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7117:1" rel="noopener">Nikon (7731 JP)</a>, or ignored - <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/smc-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20866:1" rel="noopener">SMC (6273 JP)</a> since 2018. (For more on SMC working capital issues, please see my colleague <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/scott-foster" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:1134" rel="noopener">Scott Foster</a>'s Insight of last year - <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/smc-6273-jp-getting-in-line-with-reality" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:30081" rel="noopener">SMC (6273 JP): Getting in Line with Reality</a>).   </p>
<p>For this Insight, we have limited our review to larger capitalisation manufacturing companies. In the<strong> DETAIL</strong> section below, we shall cover the outliers at both ends of <strong>Receivables Days</strong>, <strong>Inventory Days</strong>, <strong>Payables Days</strong>, and finally <strong>Net Working Capital Days</strong>.</p>


Source • Japan Analytics
THE CASH CONVERSION CYCLE - Net Working Capital is a measure of how efficiently a company manages its short-term assets and liabilities to generate cash and is also known as the Cash Conversion Cycle. In practice, Net Working Capital is scaled by the number of days of Revenue or Cost of Goods Sold that are 'tied' up in three components - Receivables, Inventory, and Payables.
Net Working Capital Days varies by industry and the lower the number, the better. Amounts over 210 days are excessive, and a sign of business stress.  Net Working Capital is defined as:-


+ Receivables/Revenue - the average number of days required to collect on sales. Businesses usually extend a degree of credit to non-cash customers.  Receivables Days over 100 are excessive.

+ Inventory/Cost of Goods Sold - the average number of days it takes to sell out of Inventory. Amounts vary widely by industry but days over 210 are excessive.
- Payables/Cost of Goods Sold -the average number of days the company takes to settle transactions with suppliers. By extending nominally interest-free credit, suppliers provide operating leverage to a business. A larger negative number is better, but days less than -100 are excessive.

The relationship between Receivables and Payables should also be considered particularly where the company is giving more generous credit terms to its customers than it receives from its suppliers. The Cash Conversion Cycle for the aggregate of all non-financial currently-listed Japanese companies has averaged 77 days over the last thirty years. However, over the previous twelve months., a fourteen-day rise in Inventory Days during the last four years has pushed Net Working Capital Days to 93.


Source • Japan Analytics

NET WORKING CAPITAL DAYS AS A STRESS TEST - The correlation between Net Working Capital Days and relative performance varies by company and by Sectors. The examples above show how signals can be heeded -  Nikon (7731 JP), or ignored - SMC (6273 JP) since 2018. (For more on SMC working capital issues, please see my colleague Scott Foster's Insight of last year - SMC (6273 JP): Getting in Line with Reality).   
For this Insight, we have limited our review to larger capitalisation manufacturing companies. In the DETAIL section below, we shall cover the outliers at both ends of Receivables Days, Inventory Days, Payables Days, and finally Net Working Capital Days.

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Stress Tests Part 5: Net Working Capital Outliers

Japan

HIKARI TSUSHIN, INC. is a mobile telecommunication service subscription agency. The Company also operates telecommunication services stores, HIT SHOP, which sell cellular telephones, and related goods.  Hikari Tsushin also sells office automation equipment and insurance.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

Hikari Tsushin (9435 JP)

Katakura (3001) Tender In Danger As New Player Displaces Activist Who Agreed To Tender

The Katakura Industries (3001) Tender Offer was not looking good until it finally dropped back 10 days ago. Late last week it started lifting off....

Travis Lundy

Asia-Pac Weekly Risk Arb Summary: Beijing Capital Land, Suchuang Gas, Siam Dev, 1300Smiles

This insight provides a quick summary of gross/annualised (where possible) spreads on 36 (mostly) firm deals as at the last trading date, and how...

David Blennerhassett

Aslead Capital Hostile Offer for Fuji Kosan (5009)

Fuji Kosan (5009) is the lastest smallcap value name to attract a hostile bidder putting a shot across the bow of recalcitrant management. A wake...

Travis Lundy

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 11/12 McDonald's, Nissan, Hikari, H'hodo

• BEST & WORST • Thursday's best and worst pairing is Mcdonald's Japan (2702 JP) and ad agency Hakuhodo (2433 JP)..................

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Stress Tests Part 5: Net Working Capital Outliers

THE CASH CONVERSION CYCLE - Net Working Capital is a measure of how efficiently a company manages its short-term assets and liabilities to...

Campbell Gunn

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Katakura (3001) Tender In Danger As New Player Displaces Activist Who Agreed To Tender

The Katakura Industries (3001) Tender Offer was not looking good until it finally dropped back 10 days ago. Late last week it started lifting off....

Travis Lundy

Asia-Pac Weekly Risk Arb Summary: Beijing Capital Land, Suchuang Gas, Siam Dev, 1300Smiles

This insight provides a quick summary of gross/annualised (where possible) spreads on 36 (mostly) firm deals as at the last trading date, and how...

David Blennerhassett

Aslead Capital Hostile Offer for Fuji Kosan (5009)

Fuji Kosan (5009) is the lastest smallcap value name to attract a hostile bidder putting a shot across the bow of recalcitrant management. A wake...

Travis Lundy

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 11/​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​12 McDonald's, Nissan, Hikari, H'hodo

• BEST & WORST • Thursday's best and worst pairing is Mcdonald's Japan (2702 JP) and ad agency Hakuhodo (2433 JP)..................

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Stress Tests Part 5: Net Working Capital Outliers

THE CASH CONVERSION CYCLE - Net Working Capital is a measure of how efficiently a company manages its short-term assets and liabilities to...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 11/12 McDonald's, Nissan, Hikari, H'hodo