Korea / Special Situations, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Situations

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

Clepsydra Capital

Investigate special situations, pairs, and index rebalancing trades in Korea.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>A high-ranking official from the local financial regulatory authority has confirmed to several local media outlets that the tax benefits for the value-up program will be unveiled this month.</li>
<li>Corporate tax cuts and separate taxation on dividend income will be included. The short-term impact at the time of the announcement will likely be more significant for corporate tax cuts.</li>
<li>Local market is focused on screening large companies within the KOSPI 200 that have substantial pre-tax profits in anticipation of the corporate tax cut momentum to be announced this month.</li>
</ul>


A high-ranking official from the local financial regulatory authority has confirmed to several local media outlets that the tax benefits for the value-up program will be unveiled this month.
Corporate tax cuts and separate taxation on dividend income will be included. The short-term impact at the time of the announcement will likely be more significant for corporate tax cuts.
Local market is focused on screening large companies within the KOSPI 200 that have substantial pre-tax profits in anticipation of the corporate tax cut momentum to be announced this month.


Value-Up Tax Support Revealed by End of June: Local Market Eyes Corporate Tax Cut Beneficiaries

Financials & FinTech research, Galliano’s Financials Research

Victor Galliano

Financials & FinTech research

Financials & FinTech, EM & Developed Markets

Galliano’s Financials Research

Galliano's Financials Research provides fundamental research in Emerging Markets financials, including FinTech, as well as financials in select Developed Markets.

The investment style applied is generally value oriented, although Growth At Reasonable Price (GARP) strategies can also be used where appropriate. 

Our investment research approach aim is often contrarian, looking to capitalise on overly sceptical or optimistic consensus views. In terms of valuation techniques, the focus is on PBV ratio to ROE, PE multiples and dividend yield, as well as the application of PEG ratios and, where appropriate, Sum of the Parts (SOTP) valuations.

Equity Bottom-Up

Woori Financial Group  / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>In our latest South Korean banks screener; we add Woori Financial to existing buy KB Financial as our preferred Korean banks picks</li>
<li>Delinquency ratios continued to worsen QoQ, with only Woori bucking the 4Q23 NPL trend; Woori has lagged in terms of returns, but we expect CoR control to support 2024 returns</li>
<li>KB has a low PBV ratio relative to its ROE, it delivers rising post-provision returns,  it has a high CET1 ratio and it maintains a healthy LDR</li>
</ul>


In our latest South Korean banks screener; we add Woori Financial to existing buy KB Financial as our preferred Korean banks picks
Delinquency ratios continued to worsen QoQ, with only Woori bucking the 4Q23 NPL trend; Woori has lagged in terms of returns, but we expect CoR control to support 2024 returns
KB has a low PBV ratio relative to its ROE, it delivers rising post-provision returns,  it has a high CET1 ratio and it maintains a healthy LDR


South Korean Banks; Woori Financial (316140 KS) Added to Buy List, Joining KB Financial (105560 KS)

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

<ul>
<li>We discussed in last week's June 19 report how bullish price and RS trends on Israel's TA-125 was our tell that global equities were looking past Israel-Iran tensions.</li>
<li>Now completely in the rear-view mirror.  We also discussed how we were expecting short-term support on ACWI-US at $123-$123.50 (6.5-month base support), and ACWI-US bottomed at $123.20 on Monday.</li>
<li>As a result, we remain near-term bullish since our 4/22/25 Compass, and our intermediate-term outlook remains bullish as well (as of our 5/14/25 Compass).</li>
</ul>


We discussed in last week's June 19 report how bullish price and RS trends on Israel's TA-125 was our tell that global equities were looking past Israel-Iran tensions.
Now completely in the rear-view mirror.  We also discussed how we were expecting short-term support on ACWI-US at $123-$123.50 (6.5-month base support), and ACWI-US bottomed at $123.20 on Monday.
As a result, we remain near-term bullish since our 4/22/25 Compass, and our intermediate-term outlook remains bullish as well (as of our 5/14/25 Compass).


Downgrading Germany and Ireland; Global Technology Still Leading; Crucial Base Supports Holding

<ul>
<li>Woori Financial remains our value pick with its low PEG ratio and high dividend yield; we believe it is the most asset sensitive bank of the peer group</li>
<li>Woori is trading at a 36% PBV discount to peer KB Financial which is well below the three year mean a close to one standard deviation from the mean</li>
<li>We downgrade Hana Financial to a neutral despite attractive valuations due to its relatively more challenged credit quality which could drive a higher cost of risk going forward</li>
</ul>


Woori Financial remains our value pick with its low PEG ratio and high dividend yield; we believe it is the most asset sensitive bank of the peer group
Woori is trading at a 36% PBV discount to peer KB Financial which is well below the three year mean a close to one standard deviation from the mean
We downgrade Hana Financial to a neutral despite attractive valuations due to its relatively more challenged credit quality which could drive a higher cost of risk going forward


Korean Banks; Woori (316140 KS) Is Our Sole Buy, Hana (086790 KS) Downgraded to a Neutral

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

<ul>
<li>It was reported today in numerous local media that there will be an inclusion of 'shareholder value improvement' management evaluation criteria for listed government enterprises.</li>
<li>Some of these listed government enterprises rallied strongly today (KEPCO - up 10%; KOGAS - up 12.7%; Korea District Heating - Up 30%). </li>
<li>The detailed evaluation criteria for management evaluation of government enterprises will include the appropriateness of dividend levels, protection of minority shareholders, and compliance with best practices for ESG improvement.</li>
</ul>


It was reported today in numerous local media that there will be an inclusion of 'shareholder value improvement' management evaluation criteria for listed government enterprises.
Some of these listed government enterprises rallied strongly today (KEPCO - up 10%; KOGAS - up 12.7%; Korea District Heating - Up 30%). 
The detailed evaluation criteria for management evaluation of government enterprises will include the appropriateness of dividend levels, protection of minority shareholders, and compliance with best practices for ESG improvement.


Inclusion of 'Shareholder Value Improvement' Mgmt Evaluation Reforms for Listed Govt Enterprises

South Korea

Industrial Bank of Korea(IBK) is a policy bank providing development finance and related banking services to support small and medium-sized enterprises in Korea. The Bank provides loans, discount bills, trade finance, deposits, foreign exchange, and payment guarantees. The company also offers services such as credit cards, insurance and smart-phone banking.

Price Gauge
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Industrial Bank Of Korea (024110 KS)

Value-Up Tax Support Revealed by End of June: Local Market Eyes Corporate Tax Cut Beneficiaries

A high-ranking official confirmed that tax cut incentives for the value-up program will be unveiled by the end of this month. This post...

Sanghyun Park

South Korean Banks; Woori Financial (316140 KS) Added to Buy List, Joining KB Financial (105560 KS)

Adding Woori as a buy alongside KB; Woori shows undemanding multiples, a promising NPL trend and potential for improved 2024 returns. KB has a low...

Victor Galliano

Downgrading Germany and Ireland; Global Technology Still Leading; Crucial Base Supports Holding

Downgrading Germany and Ireland; Global Technology Still Leading; Crucial Base Supports Holding on $ACWI ($123-123.50), $EEM ($46)

Vermilion Research

Korean Banks; Woori (316140 KS) Is Our Sole Buy, Hana (086790 KS) Downgraded to a Neutral

Woori is our sole buy in Korean banks, Hana downgraded to neutral; we believe Woori is the most asset sensitive bank of the peer group, and it...

Victor Galliano

Inclusion of 'Shareholder Value Improvement' Mgmt Evaluation Reforms for Listed Govt Enterprises

It was reported today in numerous local media that there will be an inclusion of 'shareholder value improvement' management evaluation criteria for...

Douglas Kim

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Value-Up Tax Support Revealed by End of June: Local Market Eyes Corporate Tax Cut Beneficiaries

A high-ranking official confirmed that tax cut incentives for the value-up program will be unveiled by the end of this month. This post...

Sanghyun Park

South Korean Banks; Woori Financial (316140 KS) Added to Buy List, Joining KB Financial (105560 KS)

​Adding Woori as a buy alongside KB; Woori shows undemanding multiples, a promising NPL trend and potential for improved 2024 returns. KB has a low...

Victor Galliano

Downgrading Germany and Ireland; Global Technology Still Leading; Crucial Base Supports Holding

Downgrading Germany and Ireland; Global Technology Still Leading; Crucial Base Supports Holding on $ACWI ($123-123.50), $EEM ($46)

Vermilion Research

Korean Banks; Woori (316140 KS) Is Our Sole Buy, Hana (086790 KS) Downgraded to a Neutral

Woori is our sole buy in Korean banks, Hana downgraded to neutral; we believe Woori is the most asset sensitive bank of the peer group, and it...

Victor Galliano

Inclusion of 'Shareholder Value Improvement' Mgmt Evaluation Reforms for Listed Govt Enterprises

It was reported today in numerous local media that there will be an inclusion of 'shareholder value improvement' management evaluation criteria for...

Douglas Kim

Adding Woori as a buy alongside KB; Woori shows undemanding multiples, a promising NPL trend and potential for improved 2024 returns. KB has a low...