Global Materials | Industrials | Commodities

Rahul Jain

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Copper treatment and refining charges have collapsed from ~$80/ton in 2023 to around –$40/ton by mid-2025, meaning smelters are effectively paying to process concentrate.</li>
<li>Smelter Cutbacks: Persistent margin losses have triggered curtailments and shutdowns across major smelters in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, removing an estimated 1.3–1.5 Mtpa of refined capacity.</li>
<li>With refined supply under strain, low exchange stocks, and surging Asian premiums, the market risks flipping into a structural deficit—setting the stage for further upside in copper prices into 2026.</li>
</ul>


Copper treatment and refining charges have collapsed from ~$80/ton in 2023 to around –$40/ton by mid-2025, meaning smelters are effectively paying to process concentrate.
Smelter Cutbacks: Persistent margin losses have triggered curtailments and shutdowns across major smelters in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, removing an estimated 1.3–1.5 Mtpa of refined capacity.
With refined supply under strain, low exchange stocks, and surging Asian premiums, the market risks flipping into a structural deficit—setting the stage for further upside in copper prices into 2026.


Copper Market Stress Test: TC/RC Collapse and Its Implications for Miners, Smelters, and Prices

Commodities

<ul>
<li>Copper Bull Case: Electrification and constrained supply support a bullish $10k/t copper outlook, positioning Japan Inc. as a strategic beneficiary of the energy transition.</li>
<li>Japan Inc. Exposure: ~0.95 Mt attributable output (~63–66% demand) drives ~$6bn EBITDA; SMM and JX Advanced Metals are most leveraged, trading houses offer diversified exposure.</li>
<li>Growth Optionality: Nittetsu’s Chile projects add near-term growth (2026–28), while Quechua provides long-dated optionality into the 2030s, enhancing Japan’s copper security.</li>
</ul>


Copper Bull Case: Electrification and constrained supply support a bullish $10k/t copper outlook, positioning Japan Inc. as a strategic beneficiary of the energy transition.
Japan Inc. Exposure: ~0.95 Mt attributable output (~63–66% demand) drives ~$6bn EBITDA; SMM and JX Advanced Metals are most leveraged, trading houses offer diversified exposure.
Growth Optionality: Nittetsu’s Chile projects add near-term growth (2026–28), while Quechua provides long-dated optionality into the 2030s, enhancing Japan’s copper security.


Japan Inc. And the Copper Supercycle: Who Benefits Most?

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>The changes to the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikkei-225" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22909:1" rel="noopener">Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX)</a> as part of the September rebalance should be announced in just over 2 weeks. We expect 2 changes at the review.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/baycurrent-consulting-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:25985:1" rel="noopener">BayCurrent Consulting</a>'s PAF will double, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fast-retailing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:751:1" rel="noopener">Fast Retailing</a>'s CPAF will stay the same, and Sony Financial Group will be deleted from the index following its spinoff from <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sony-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:563:1" rel="noopener">Sony Corp (6758 JP)</a>. </li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sanrio-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16476:1" rel="noopener">Sanrio (8136 JP)</a>'s improved liquidity increases the probability of index inclusion, and the stock could be added to the index at the next rebalance if it misses in September.</li>
</ul>


The changes to the Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX) as part of the September rebalance should be announced in just over 2 weeks. We expect 2 changes at the review.

BayCurrent Consulting's PAF will double, Fast Retailing's CPAF will stay the same, and Sony Financial Group will be deleted from the index following its spinoff from Sony Corp (6758 JP). 

Sanrio (8136 JP)'s improved liquidity increases the probability of index inclusion, and the stock could be added to the index at the next rebalance if it misses in September.


Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Sep25: Performance of Potential Adds/Deletes & Positioning

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech, Aequitas Research

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Quantitative Analysis

<ul>
<li>We analyzed the changes in margin trading positions of JPX stocks as of Aug 8th. The aggregated net margin trading position is USD15,664m.</li>
<li>We tabulate league tables for top/bottom net long/short of margin trading by value, net margin buy as multiple of ADT.</li>
<li>We highlight net margin buy/sell changes in Furukawa Electric, Disco, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, SoftBank, Advantest, Tokyo Electron, Nintendo, IHI, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Toyota Motor, Furukawa Electric, Disco, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.</li>
</ul>


We analyzed the changes in margin trading positions of JPX stocks as of Aug 8th. The aggregated net margin trading position is USD15,664m.
We tabulate league tables for top/bottom net long/short of margin trading by value, net margin buy as multiple of ADT.
We highlight net margin buy/sell changes in Furukawa Electric, Disco, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, SoftBank, Advantest, Tokyo Electron, Nintendo, IHI, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Toyota Motor, Furukawa Electric, Disco, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.


JPX Margin Trading Weekly (Aug 8th): Furukawa Electric, Disco, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, SoftBank

Japanese Equity Specialist, Ortus Advisors

Andrew Jackson

Japanese Equity Specialist

Ortus Advisors

<ul>
<li>Skyworks and Cirrus both beating should help the likes of Nitto Denko and Alps.</li>
<li>SMCI tanking -16% as investor confidence shaken by a swift U-turn from previous bullish guidance.</li>
<li>Mitsubishi Heavy continues to surge with its earnings lifted by strong growth for its gas turbine business.</li>
</ul>


Skyworks and Cirrus both beating should help the likes of Nitto Denko and Alps.
SMCI tanking -16% as investor confidence shaken by a swift U-turn from previous bullish guidance.
Mitsubishi Heavy continues to surge with its earnings lifted by strong growth for its gas turbine business.


Japan Morning Connection: Apple Suppliers Continue Higher but SMCI and AMD Disappoint After-Hours

Japan

JX Advanced Metals Corporation mines and distributes non ferrous metal products. The Company smelts, refines, and markets non ferrous metals such as copper, gold, silver, and more. JX Advanced Metals also sells semiconductor materials, special steel materials, and other products.

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JX Advanced Metals (5016 JP)

Copper Market Stress Test: TC/RC Collapse and Its Implications for Miners, Smelters, and Prices

Copper smelters facing losses lead to cutbacks and shutdowns, risking supply shortage and potential price increase in 2026.

Rahul Jain

Japan Inc. And the Copper Supercycle: Who Benefits Most?

Japan Inc. poised to benefit from bullish copper outlook due to electrification and constrained supply, with key players like SMM and JX Advanced...

Rahul Jain

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Sep25: Performance of Potential Adds/Deletes & Positioning

A week or so to go for the announcement of changes to the NKY in September. The forecast adds have dropped a bit over the last week and there will...

Brian Freitas

JPX Margin Trading Weekly (Aug 8th): Furukawa Electric, Disco, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, SoftBank

We analyzed JPX margin trading positions report for the past week and highlighted Furukawa Electric (5801 JP), Disco (6146 JP), Mitsubishi Heavy...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Japan Morning Connection: Apple Suppliers Continue Higher but SMCI and AMD Disappoint After-Hours

An upbeat tone set for JP Apple suppliers. SMCI down after cut sales guidance. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries earnings show strong growth.

Andrew Jackson

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Copper Market Stress Test: TC/RC Collapse and Its Implications for Miners, Smelters, and Prices

​Copper smelters facing losses lead to cutbacks and shutdowns, risking supply shortage and potential price increase in 2026.

Rahul Jain

Japan Inc. And the Copper Supercycle: Who Benefits Most?

​Japan Inc. poised to benefit from bullish copper outlook due to electrification and constrained supply, with key players like SMM and JX Advanced...

Rahul Jain

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Sep25: Performance of Potential Adds/Deletes & Positioning

A week or so to go for the announcement of changes to the NKY in September. The forecast adds have dropped a bit over the last week and there will...

Brian Freitas

JPX Margin Trading Weekly (Aug 8th): Furukawa Electric, Disco, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, SoftBank

We analyzed JPX margin trading positions report for the past week and highlighted Furukawa Electric (5801 JP), Disco (6146 JP), Mitsubishi Heavy...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Japan Morning Connection: Apple Suppliers Continue Higher but SMCI and AMD Disappoint After-Hours

An upbeat tone set for JP Apple suppliers. SMCI down after cut sales guidance. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries earnings show strong growth.

Andrew Jackson

Copper smelters facing losses lead to cutbacks and shutdowns, risking supply shortage and potential price increase in 2026.

Japan Inc. poised to benefit from bullish copper outlook due to electrification and constrained supply, with key players like SMM and JX Advanced...