Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas, Azabu Research

Michael Allen

Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas

Azabu Research

Azabu Research is a publishing and consulting firm focused on distressed equities in the Japanese market. We specialize in turnaround strategies, corporate combinations, divestitures, and restructuring.

Publisher of the Tokyo Turnaround Letter, which conducts the most thorough research possible of publicly available information, including forensic tests for fraudulent overstatement of assets and understatement of liabilities, as well as rigorous market and industry analysis to assess the underlying strengths of the company’s products or services, the appropriateness of the company’s turnaround strategy, and the skill of its current management team. The average length of a report exceeds 25 pages of text and tables, excluding any disclosures or executive summaries.

We have more than 30 years of experience in applying this process to distressed equities in Japan. Additionally, subscribers have free access to detailed, yet easily navigated earnings models for the target company as well as the top five comparable companies, and unlimited access to the analyst for follow-up questions.

Azabu Research also conducts be-spoke research on a project basis, and provides consulting services to companies looking to restructure, divest, make acquisitions, go public, or improve investor sentiment toward their stock.

Independent Research and Consulting Firm

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Silicon carbide chips and new electric vehicles are dominating the news in deep value space, highlighting Rohm, Honda, and Aisin.</li>
<li>We also highlight some juicy dividends that we think need to be taken seriously by growth managers.</li>
<li>This round-up is provided for thought provocation only. Comprehensive deep-dive analysis available to clients on request. </li>
</ul>


Silicon carbide chips and new electric vehicles are dominating the news in deep value space, highlighting Rohm, Honda, and Aisin.
We also highlight some juicy dividends that we think need to be taken seriously by growth managers.
This round-up is provided for thought provocation only. Comprehensive deep-dive analysis available to clients on request. 


Unloved Japan Roundup: Rohm, Honda, Aisin, Jtekt

<ul>
<li>Mazda’s domestic unit volume was up 24% in September, compared to an industrywide total of only 1.1%.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, Q2 consensus EBIT estimates have come down by 32% since the release of Q1 results.</li>
<li>But the yield is over 6%, and the Payout ratio is only 17% even on the new estimates.</li>
</ul>


Mazda’s domestic unit volume was up 24% in September, compared to an industrywide total of only 1.1%.
Meanwhile, Q2 consensus EBIT estimates have come down by 32% since the release of Q1 results.
But the yield is over 6%, and the Payout ratio is only 17% even on the new estimates.


Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>The Toyota Group cross-holding ecosystem is in flux. They started with a small announcement by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aisin-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11809:1" rel="noopener">Aisin (7259 JP)</a> but moves have come fast and furious.</li>
<li>Apparently minorities are grumbling to the SFC about the low-balled Offer for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/asia-cement-china-holdings" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3374:1" rel="noopener">Asia Cement China (743 HK)</a>. And for good reason. The best course of action? Vote against the Scheme.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hanwha-corporation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10619:1" rel="noopener">Hanwha Corporation (000880 KS)</a> is trading at a steep NAV discount. And the controlling family is making  a partial Offer to gain majority control. </li>
</ul>


The Toyota Group cross-holding ecosystem is in flux. They started with a small announcement by Aisin (7259 JP) but moves have come fast and furious.
Apparently minorities are grumbling to the SFC about the low-balled Offer for Asia Cement China (743 HK). And for good reason. The best course of action? Vote against the Scheme.

Hanwha Corporation (000880 KS) is trading at a steep NAV discount. And the controlling family is making  a partial Offer to gain majority control. 


Last Week in Event SPACE: Toyota, Asia Cement, Hanwha Corp, Kokusai Electric, Keisei Electric

Travis Lundy

<ul>
<li>Toyota equity affiliate <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aisin-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11809:1" rel="noopener">Aisin (7259 JP)</a> last September said it would sell all its crossholdings. That now includes a 36.5% stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/exedy-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6516:1" rel="noopener">Exedy Corp (7278 JP)</a>. </li>
<li>Today, they announced an offering of all the shares (when including the greenshoe). That is nearly ¥50bn. That is offset by a ¥15bn buyback which could reduce the offering size.</li>
<li>Games may be played, but there is considerable accretion, and Exedy will see higher float and still-high net cash.</li>
</ul>


Toyota equity affiliate Aisin (7259 JP) last September said it would sell all its crossholdings. That now includes a 36.5% stake in Exedy Corp (7278 JP). 
Today, they announced an offering of all the shares (when including the greenshoe). That is nearly ¥50bn. That is offset by a ¥15bn buyback which could reduce the offering size.
Games may be played, but there is considerable accretion, and Exedy will see higher float and still-high net cash.


Cash-Rich Exedy (7278) Sees Huge Offering Offset by Huge Buyback - Watch For Short-Term Games

Executive Director, Metrical Inc

Aki Matsumoto

Executive Director

Independent Leading Corporate Governance Research

Metrical Inc

METRICAL INC. is an independent leading Corporate Governance research firm in Japan where Corporate Governance is increasingly recognized as an important element on corporate management in these days. Thus, CG research and solutions would become an essential component of global capital markets and play important to contribute to transparency of the markets and maximize shareholders’ value in Japan. 

METRICAL INC. provides Corporate Governance research and analysis including rating services, and  also offers investment research and IR services with solutions and customized profound research on CG and IR issues.

<ul>
<li>I considered the article reported by Nikkei, "Halving the Number of In-House Directors to Three, Equal to Outside Directors. It was misleading because it didn't consider the board composition.</li>
<li>This change in the board composition is merely a measure to meet the listing criteria of prime market means and will not immediately lead to improved transparency of the board.</li>
<li>It must be said that there are numerous issues to be improved for the Company, looking into the corporate practices in detail of the company.</li>
</ul>


I considered the article reported by Nikkei, "Halving the Number of In-House Directors to Three, Equal to Outside Directors. It was misleading because it didn't consider the board composition.
This change in the board composition is merely a measure to meet the listing criteria of prime market means and will not immediately lead to improved transparency of the board.
It must be said that there are numerous issues to be improved for the Company, looking into the corporate practices in detail of the company.


Japan's Governance: Article on the Composition of the Board of Directors of JTEKT Corporation (6473)

Japan

JTEKT Corporation manufactures bearings for motor vehicles and electronic equipment.  The Company also produces steering systems and oil seals for automobiles, electronic control units, and machine tools.

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JTEKT Corp (6473 JP)

Unloved Japan Roundup: Rohm, Honda, Aisin, Jtekt

New product launches could be the start of a deluge of Silicon carbide-based chips that improve performance and reduce costs of high-powered...

Michael Allen

Unloved Japan Roundup: Bracing for Q3

Mazda’s domestic volume up 24% in September, compared to industrywide average of 1.1%. Q2 estimates down by 32% in 3 months, but yield over 6%,...

Michael Allen

Last Week in Event SPACE: Toyota, Asia Cement, Hanwha Corp, Kokusai Electric, Keisei Electric

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed...

David Blennerhassett

Cash-Rich Exedy (7278) Sees Huge Offering Offset by Huge Buyback - Watch For Short-Term Games

Today Exedy announced Aisin will sell all its shares in Exedy in an offering, and Exedy may launch a ToSTNeT-3 buyback in the next 2 days. Anyone...

Travis Lundy

Japan's Governance: Article on the Composition of the Board of Directors of JTEKT Corporation (6473)

The Nikkei's report gave the impression that the transparency of JTEKT's board would improve, but it was misleading because it didn't consider the...

Metrical Inc

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