Japanese Equity Specialist, Ortus Advisors

Andrew Jackson

Japanese Equity Specialist

Ortus Advisors

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>DOW +0.59%, Russell -1.06%, SPX -1.39%, Nasdaq -2.77%, SOX -6.81% as investors shifted from growth to value stocks. UST10 was flat at 4.16%, and the yen strengthened to Y156.18.</li>
<li>Commodities were mixed with copper -0.3%, nickel -0.83%, and Brent +1.72%. Energy and consumer staples rose, with VSF +13.6% after Essilor Luxottica agreed to buy Supreme. US homebuilders lost ground. </li>
<li>Tech stocks fell sharply after ASML's earnings missed estimates and news of potential US export restrictions to China. Focus on SPE names with high China exposure as shorts.</li>
</ul>


DOW +0.59%, Russell -1.06%, SPX -1.39%, Nasdaq -2.77%, SOX -6.81% as investors shifted from growth to value stocks. UST10 was flat at 4.16%, and the yen strengthened to Y156.18.
Commodities were mixed with copper -0.3%, nickel -0.83%, and Brent +1.72%. Energy and consumer staples rose, with VSF +13.6% after Essilor Luxottica agreed to buy Supreme. US homebuilders lost ground. 
Tech stocks fell sharply after ASML's earnings missed estimates and news of potential US export restrictions to China. Focus on SPE names with high China exposure as shorts.


Japan Morning Connection – 18 July, 2024

Global Healthcare Analyst

Tina Banerjee

Equity Bottom-Up

Shanghai Conant Optical / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>In 1H26, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shanghai-conant-optical-co-ltd-class-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33004:1" rel="noopener">Shanghai Conant Optical (2276 HK) </a>reported revenue rise of 8% YoY buoyed by growth across segments like multifunctional lens (up 12%) and customized lens (up 37%).</li>
<li>In 1H26, the company kept up with its consistency of expanding its gross margins period after period, as margin expanded from 41% in 1H25 to 42.9% in 1H26.</li>
<li>Shanghai Conant’s demand outlook, capacity expansion plans, R&amp;D initiatives and margin strength offer a strong long term secular growth story.</li>
</ul>


In 1H26, Shanghai Conant Optical (2276 HK) reported revenue rise of 8% YoY buoyed by growth across segments like multifunctional lens (up 12%) and customized lens (up 37%).
In 1H26, the company kept up with its consistency of expanding its gross margins period after period, as margin expanded from 41% in 1H25 to 42.9% in 1H26.
Shanghai Conant’s demand outlook, capacity expansion plans, R&amp;D initiatives and margin strength offer a strong long term secular growth story.


Conant Optical (2276 HKG): 1H26 Revenue and Margins Expand; XR Lenses Growth Story Slowly Unfolding

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning, Copley Fund Research

Steven Holden

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning

Copley Fund Research

Copley Fund Research provide research and data on asset allocation among Global and Emerging Market equity funds.  The analysis details absolute and relative positioning across countries, sectors and industries together with highly granular data on single stock and single fund allocations.  The data is updated monthly with time series going back to January 2011.

Global Research - Analysis of 165 prominent Global equity funds, combined AUM $335bn
GEM Research - Analysis of 127 prominent global EM equity funds, combined AUM $250bn

Asset Allocation - Global and GEM Equity

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Active Emerging Market funds in the Aggressive Growth style group raise out-of-benchmark exposure in Japanese stocks to record levels.</li>
<li>Nearly a fifth of funds are now invested, with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/unicharm-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6246:1" rel="noopener">Unicharm Corp (8113 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hoya-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8990:1" rel="noopener">Hoya Corp (7741 JP)</a> the key stock holdings.</li>
<li>Japan is the 9th largest country overweight among Aggressive Growth EM funds, underscoring the commitment of active managers in identifying Emerging Market opportunities beyond conventional indices.</li>
</ul>


Active Emerging Market funds in the Aggressive Growth style group raise out-of-benchmark exposure in Japanese stocks to record levels.
Nearly a fifth of funds are now invested, with Unicharm Corp (8113 JP) and Hoya Corp (7741 JP) the key stock holdings.
Japan is the 9th largest country overweight among Aggressive Growth EM funds, underscoring the commitment of active managers in identifying Emerging Market opportunities beyond conventional indices.


EM Growth Funds Raise Out-Of-Benchmark Exposure to Japan

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

TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We continue to recommend a tactical overweight to defensives (Staples, Health Care, and Utilities) as the MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) tests the top-end of our anticipated 2023 trading range at $93.</li>
<li>We also remain overweight Europe, Japan, and India, where a lot more than just defensives continue to outperform.</li>
<li>Actionable Themes: Consumer Discretionary and Defensives, Mainly in Japan and Europe</li>
</ul>


We continue to recommend a tactical overweight to defensives (Staples, Health Care, and Utilities) as the MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) tests the top-end of our anticipated 2023 trading range at $93.
We also remain overweight Europe, Japan, and India, where a lot more than just defensives continue to outperform.
Actionable Themes: Consumer Discretionary and Defensives, Mainly in Japan and Europe


Remain Overweight Japan, Europe, & India; Buys in Discretionary and Defensives W/ Japan/Europe Focus

Research from Quam Securities, Quam Securities

Quam Securities Research

Research from Quam Securities

Quam Securities

Since its inception in 1986, Quam Securities Limited (Quam Securities) has grown to become one of the few mid-tier securities brokerages in Hong Kong with global execution capabilities for both private and institutional clients. It boasts a well-established network in Greater China including Taiwan and in major world markets through the Global Alliance Partners (GAP). Quam Securities is well-positioned not only to harness and drive business within the China Tonghai International Financial Limited but also between China and the world markets.

<div><div><div><div><ul><li>Despite shipment continued to fall y/y, all major markets experienced deceleration in decline.</li><li>DMs like US &amp; W Europe did better with more material deceleration, which helped Apple to solidify its market position.</li><li>EMs remained weak with APAC (ex-Jap &amp; China), CEE and MEA falling 17-20% y/y, which was a bigger headache to the Android camp, especially the Chinese players, among which, Xiaomi had relatively poorer performance.</li></ul></div></div></div></div>

Despite shipment continued to fall y/y, all major markets experienced deceleration in decline.DMs like US &amp; W Europe did better with more material deceleration, which helped Apple to solidify its market position.EMs remained weak with APAC (ex-Jap &amp; China), CEE and MEA falling 17-20% y/y, which was a bigger headache to the Android camp, especially the Chinese players, among which, Xiaomi had relatively poorer performance.

Smartphone – Global Vs China Decelerated Downtrends

Japan

Hoya Corp manufactures electro-optics products such as mask blanks for semiconductors, photomasks for LCD panels, optical glasses, glass memory disks for HDDs, medical flexible endoscopes, eyeglasses, and contact lenses. The Company also provides information system architecture.

Price Gauge
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Hoya Corp (7741 JP)

Japan Morning Connection – 18 July, 2024

Investors shift from growth to value stocks, tech stocks fall on ASML earnings miss and US export restrictions to China, VSF surges after Essilor...

Andrew Jackson

Conant Optical (2276 HKG): 1H26 Revenue and Margins Expand; XR Lenses Growth Story Slowly Unfolding

In 1H26, Shanghai Conant reported revenue rise of 8% YoY to RMB 1.2B. Demand outlook, expansion plans, R&D initiatives and margin strength offer a...

Tina Banerjee

EM Growth Funds Raise Out-Of-Benchmark Exposure to Japan

Japan is the 9th largest country overweight among Aggressive Growth EM funds, underscoring the commitment of active managers in identifying...

Steven Holden

Remain Overweight Japan, Europe, & India; Buys in Discretionary and Defensives W/ Japan/Europe Focus

We continue to recommend a tactical overweight to defensives as $ACWI tests the top-end of our anticipated 2023 trading range at $93. Remain...

Vermilion Research

Smartphone – Global Vs China Decelerated Downtrends

Despite shipment continued to fall y/y, all major markets experienced deceleration in decline. DMs like US & W Europe did better with more material...

Quam Securities

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Japan Morning Connection – 18 July, 2024

​Investors shift from growth to value stocks, tech stocks fall on ASML earnings miss and US export restrictions to China, VSF surges after Essilor...

Andrew Jackson

Conant Optical (2276 HKG): 1H26 Revenue and Margins Expand; XR Lenses Growth Story Slowly Unfolding

In 1H26, Shanghai Conant reported revenue rise of 8% YoY to RMB 1.2B. Demand outlook, expansion plans, R&D initiatives and margin strength offer a...

Tina Banerjee

EM Growth Funds Raise Out-Of-Benchmark Exposure to Japan

Japan is the 9th largest country overweight among Aggressive Growth EM funds, underscoring the commitment of active managers in identifying...

Steven Holden

Remain Overweight Japan, Europe, & India; Buys in Discretionary and Defensives W/ Japan/Europe Focus

We continue to recommend a tactical overweight to defensives as $ACWI tests the top-end of our anticipated 2023 trading range at $93. Remain...

Vermilion Research

Smartphone – Global Vs China Decelerated Downtrends

Despite shipment continued to fall y/y, all major markets experienced deceleration in decline. DMs like US & W Europe did better with more material...

Quam Securities

Investors shift from growth to value stocks, tech stocks fall on ASML earnings miss and US export restrictions to China, VSF surges after Essilor...