'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)

<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

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/134/299/original/2020-05-19_06-46-49.png?1589838438" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="134299"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><div><p>As this quarter's results and revisions announcements wind down, in the<strong> DETAIL</strong> below, we shall review Monday's updates:-</p></div><div><ul>
<li>The balance between positive/neutral/negative of the <strong>50</strong> results announcements was <strong>23:2:25</strong>. </li>
<li>For the <strong>24</strong> revisions/initial forecasts, the split was <strong>6:0:18</strong>, and the average Revision Score was <strong>-6.1</strong>. </li>
</ul></div>

Source • Japan AnalyticsAs this quarter's results and revisions announcements wind down, in the DETAIL below, we shall review Monday's updates:-
The balance between positive/neutral/negative of the 50 results announcements was 23:2:25. 
For the 24 revisions/initial forecasts, the split was 6:0:18, and the average Revision Score was -6.1. 


🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 18th May - Panasonic, Komatsu, Terumo, Sundrug & The Corona Valley

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/133/748/original/2020-05-16_08-18-15.png?1589584720" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="133748"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>"WORSENING"</strong> - The Cabinet Office updated their Business Condition Leading Indicator for March this week, confirming the trend already apparent from our Results &amp; Revision Score data series. The correlation between the series is 0.80, with the only significant deviation occurring in 2016, Coincident conditions are assessed as "worsening" wording that is unchanged since August 2019. </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/133/788/original/2020-05-16_12-10-50.png?1589598664" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="133788"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>DECOMPOSED</strong> - Our Score is decomposed into a Results Score, an Annual Forecast/Revision Score and an Interim Forecast Revision Score.  The last two are ten-year lows; the first should join them next week. A notable limiting factor is the shortage of forecasts being made. Without this reticence, both forecast Scores would be considerably lower.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/133/795/original/2020-05-16_12-47-02.png?1589600841" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="133795"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>RETICENCE</strong> - 77% by number and 81% by value of companies with year-ends in  March, June, September, or December have already reported. Of these 2,464 companies representing ¥438 trillion of market cap, just 1,119 have issued annual forecasts for the current year, and 583 have made interim forecasts. Of all listed companies, one-third by market value are currently unable to see ahead twelve months and only 16% by value and 23% by number are prepared to look forward four-and-a-half months. This unusual degree of reticence leaves the sell-side without their regular anchoring comfort blanket.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/133/802/original/2020-05-16_13-27-57.png?1589605282" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="133802"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>NOT CHEAP</strong> -  Even allowing for the lack of a full complement of forecasts, the market's forward multiple is at a five-year high with Net Income expected to reach levels first seen in 2015, 37% below the December 2018 peak. The ten-year peak trailing multiple was 29 on aggregate Net Income of  ¥14.6 trillion, which was ten times the 2009 trough.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/133/801/original/2020-05-16_14-00-16.png?1589605245" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="133801"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>FIDDLING ABOUT</strong> - The Bank of Japan has reduced the amount of its daily ETF program for a second time; however, intervened for the last three days of last week seemingly intent on keeping 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> above 20,000. The cumulative total of BoJ purchases represents over 5% of the Total Market Value.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/133/884/original/2020-05-17_12-54-22.png?1589687679" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="133884"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><p>In the <strong>DETAIL</strong> below, we review some market data trends, look at the Results &amp; Revision Score trends by Sector (a 15-year timeline is shown above), apply some KPMG 'recovery analysis' to Japan and look at Friday's results and revisions.</p><div><ul>
<li>The balance between positive/neutral/negative of the <strong>490</strong> results announcements was <strong>206:45:239</strong>. The average change in Results Score was <strong>-0.2</strong>.</li>
<li>For the <strong>205</strong> revisions/initial forecasts, the split was <strong>49:10:146</strong>, and the average Revision Score was <strong>-7.5</strong>. Of the <strong>364</strong> companies declaring full-year results, <strong>47%</strong> made forecasts for the current year.</li>
<li>Fifty-one will announce today, the largest of which by market capitalisation will be <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/softbank-group-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:315:1" rel="noopener">Softbank Group (9984 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/terumo-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6708:1" rel="noopener">Terumo Corp (4543 JP)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/komatsu-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8416:1" rel="noopener">Komatsu (6301 JP).</a>
</li>
</ul></div>

Source • Japan Analytics"WORSENING" - The Cabinet Office updated their Business Condition Leading Indicator for March this week, confirming the trend already apparent from our Results &amp; Revision Score data series. The correlation between the series is 0.80, with the only significant deviation occurring in 2016, Coincident conditions are assessed as "worsening" wording that is unchanged since August 2019. Source • Japan AnalyticsDECOMPOSED - Our Score is decomposed into a Results Score, an Annual Forecast/Revision Score and an Interim Forecast Revision Score.  The last two are ten-year lows; the first should join them next week. A notable limiting factor is the shortage of forecasts being made. Without this reticence, both forecast Scores would be considerably lower.Source • Japan AnalyticsRETICENCE - 77% by number and 81% by value of companies with year-ends in  March, June, September, or December have already reported. Of these 2,464 companies representing ¥438 trillion of market cap, just 1,119 have issued annual forecasts for the current year, and 583 have made interim forecasts. Of all listed companies, one-third by market value are currently unable to see ahead twelve months and only 16% by value and 23% by number are prepared to look forward four-and-a-half months. This unusual degree of reticence leaves the sell-side without their regular anchoring comfort blanket.Source • Japan AnalyticsNOT CHEAP -  Even allowing for the lack of a full complement of forecasts, the market's forward multiple is at a five-year high with Net Income expected to reach levels first seen in 2015, 37% below the December 2018 peak. The ten-year peak trailing multiple was 29 on aggregate Net Income of  ¥14.6 trillion, which was ten times the 2009 trough.Source • Japan AnalyticsFIDDLING ABOUT - The Bank of Japan has reduced the amount of its daily ETF program for a second time; however, intervened for the last three days of last week seemingly intent on keeping the Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX) above 20,000. The cumulative total of BoJ purchases represents over 5% of the Total Market Value.Source • Japan AnalyticsIn the DETAIL below, we review some market data trends, look at the Results &amp; Revision Score trends by Sector (a 15-year timeline is shown above), apply some KPMG 'recovery analysis' to Japan and look at Friday's results and revisions.
The balance between positive/neutral/negative of the 490 results announcements was 206:45:239. The average change in Results Score was -0.2.
For the 205 revisions/initial forecasts, the split was 49:10:146, and the average Revision Score was -7.5. Of the 364 companies declaring full-year results, 47% made forecasts for the current year.
Fifty-one will announce today, the largest of which by market capitalisation will be Softbank Group (9984 JP), Terumo Corp (4543 JP), and Komatsu (6301 JP).



🇯🇵 JAPAN MARKET UPDATE 18th May - "Worsening"

Macro & Asian equity Technical Strategies, BBSP Asia

Federico D'Inca

Macro & Asian equity Technical Strategies

BBSP Asia

Technical Analysis

<p><strong>THE MAIN IDEA</strong><br>(Relative Value Approach in USD Terms)<br><strong>Long Term Allocation (Strategic view) Relative Value vs MXAP in USD terms</strong><br>⦁ NIKKEI/MXAP: Long term out performance in progress.<br>⦁ HSI/MXAP: Long term out performance in progress/still expected.<br>⦁ HSCEI/MXAP: Bullish weekly indicators advocate for long term HSCEI out performance against MXAP.<br>⦁ ASX/MXAP: ASX out performance challenged but not invalidated (testing key support at 26.00/25.50).<br>⦁ KOSPI/MXAP: Long term out performance still expected.<br>⦁ Nifty/MXAP: Mixed elements. Neutral for now.<br>⦁ TWSE/MXAP: Neutral at the moment, watching closely key level at (2.22 on ratio TWSE/MXAP) to surpass to<br>confirm TWSE long-term out performance vs MXAP</p><p><br><strong>Mid Term Country Allocation (Tactical view) Relative Value vs MXAP in USD terms</strong><br>⦁ Downgrade Australia and Korea tactically from "Increase Exposure" to "Hold" due to mixed elements.<br>⦁ Ratings unchanged for the rest: Japan, Hong Kong (HSI) maintain their "Increase Exposure" ratings while still a<br>"Hold" rating for Taiwan, India and China (HSCEI).<br>⦁ On the RV HSCEI/MXAP, still monitoring 8.50 level to break to confirm China (HSCEI) out performance.</p><p>Should you have any questions and wish to speak with one of our analysts, please don’t hesitate to contact us.<br>Equity Asia: + (65) 6735 3040 or <a href="mailto:asia@bbsp.sg" target="_blank">asia@bbsp.sg</a></p><p><br>Access to this document is restricted to the use of the intended recipient designated by BBSP and may not be shared with others. Any unauthorised use, dissemination, distribution or copying of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. This document is provided solely for information purposes. Under no circumstances is the information contained or referred to herein to be relied upon as constituting personal investment advice or construed as any offer or solicitation to buy or sell investments. While all reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the information contained herein is not untrue or misleading at the time of publication, no representation is made as to its accuracy or completeness and it should not be relied upon as such. BBSP does not undertake any obligation to update such information. All content, data, statements and other information are not warranted as to completeness or accuracy, are subject to change without notice, and should never prevent investors from using their own judgments. Investors are fully responsible for any investment or trading decisions they make.</p>

THE MAIN IDEA (Relative Value Approach in USD Terms) Long Term Allocation (Strategic view) Relative Value vs MXAP in USD terms ⦁ NIKKEI/MXAP: Long term out performance in progress. ⦁ HSI/MXAP: Long term out performance in progress/still expected. ⦁ HSCEI/MXAP: Bullish weekly indicators advocate for long term HSCEI out performance against MXAP. ⦁ ASX/MXAP: ASX out performance challenged but not invalidated (testing key support at 26.00/25.50). ⦁ KOSPI/MXAP: Long term out performance still expected. ⦁ Nifty/MXAP: Mixed elements. Neutral for now. ⦁ TWSE/MXAP: Neutral at the moment, watching closely key level at (2.22 on ratio TWSE/MXAP) to surpass to confirm TWSE long-term out performance vs MXAP Mid Term Country Allocation (Tactical view) Relative Value vs MXAP in USD terms ⦁ Downgrade Australia and Korea tactically from "Increase Exposure" to "Hold" due to mixed elements. ⦁ Ratings unchanged for the rest: Japan, Hong Kong (HSI) maintain their "Increase Exposure" ratings while still a "Hold" rating for Taiwan, India and China (HSCEI). ⦁ On the RV HSCEI/MXAP, still monitoring 8.50 level to break to confirm China (HSCEI) out performance.Should you have any questions and wish to speak with one of our analysts, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Equity Asia: + (65) 6735 3040 or asia@bbsp.sg Access to this document is restricted to the use of the intended recipient designated by BBSP and may not be shared with others. Any unauthorised use, dissemination, distribution or copying of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. This document is provided solely for information purposes. Under no circumstances is the information contained or referred to herein to be relied upon as constituting personal investment advice or construed as any offer or solicitation to buy or sell investments. While all reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the information contained herein is not untrue or misleading at the time of publication, no representation is made as to its accuracy or completeness and it should not be relied upon as such. BBSP does not undertake any obligation to update such information. All content, data, statements and other information are not warranted as to completeness or accuracy, are subject to change without notice, and should never prevent investors from using their own judgments. Investors are fully responsible for any investment or trading decisions they make.

Founder and Strategist, Entext Economics & Strategy

Sean Maher

Founder and Strategist

Entext Economics & Strategy

Entext provides institutional investors with distinctive, actionable asset allocation and thematic research, which typically challenges the market consensus. Our clients range from credit, equity and multi-asset hedge and pension funds to family offices and sovereign funds. 
 
We focus on identifying key inflection points in macro data and relative asset performance amid the 'groupthink'  and confirmation bias that characterizes most investment bank analysis.

Macro Driven Investment Insight

Macroeconomics

<p>The short China base metals/deep cyclicals stance since December has paid off, with copper slumping to a year low, but there are early signs that the mainland investment cycle will rebound in H2.</p><p>Indeed, the chronic excess of savings must be absorbed via the banking system by credit/investment growth or a deflationary dynamic takes hold – China remains structurally demand deficient.</p><p>I’ve moved neutral on industrial metals as the China slowdown and trade war risks now look discounted, while for…</p>

The short China base metals/deep cyclicals stance since December has paid off, with copper slumping to a year low, but there are early signs that the mainland investment cycle will rebound in H2.Indeed, the chronic excess of savings must be absorbed via the banking system by credit/investment growth or a deflationary dynamic takes hold – China remains structurally demand deficient.I’ve moved neutral on industrial metals as the China slowdown and trade war risks now look discounted, while for…

Japan

KOMATSU LTD. manufactures and sells construction and mining machinery, including excavators, bulldozers, and wheel loaders.  The Company, operating on a global scale, also produces forklift trucks and engineering equipment such as press system.

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Komatsu Ltd (6301 JP)

🇯🇵 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 18th May - Panasonic, Komatsu, Terumo, Sundrug & The Corona Valley

As this quarter's results and revisions announcements wind down, in the DETAIL below, we shall review Monday's updates:- The balance between...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN MARKET UPDATE 18th May - "Worsening"

"WORSENING" - The Cabinet Office updated their Business Condition Leading Indicator for March this week, confirming the trend already apparent from...

Campbell Gunn

Equity Asia Weekly Research - 3 Oct 2018

THE MAIN IDEA(Relative Value Approach in USD Terms)Long Term Allocation (Strategic view) Relative Value vs MXAP in USD terms⦁ NIKKEI/MXAP: Long...

BBSP Asia

China Flips Investment Switch Back On...

The short China base metals/deep cyclicals stance since December has paid off, with copper slumping to a year low, but there are early signs that...

Sean Maher

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