Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

Clepsydra Capital

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

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>As the ex-dividend date in Korea has been before the dividend is determined, SSFs trade at a discount based on the anticipated dividend rather than adjusting dividend settlement proceeds explicitly.</li>
<li>The current dividend arbitrage yield for the financial companies can be seen as reflecting the postponement of the ex-dividend date to the next year.</li>
<li>We should pay attention to those with a significant dividend arbitrage yield but that did not amend their articles of incorporation earlier this year.</li>
</ul>


As the ex-dividend date in Korea has been before the dividend is determined, SSFs trade at a discount based on the anticipated dividend rather than adjusting dividend settlement proceeds explicitly.
The current dividend arbitrage yield for the financial companies can be seen as reflecting the postponement of the ex-dividend date to the next year.
We should pay attention to those with a significant dividend arbitrage yield but that did not amend their articles of incorporation earlier this year.


Understanding & Assessing Yearend Dividend Arbitrage Structure Using Futures in Korea

<ul>
<li>Korea's local market is perceiving the present HMG investment as a crucial indicator, signaling the initiation of an intense proxy battle for Korea Zinc.</li>
<li>Given the relatively constrained nature of the neutral minority stakes, falling below 30%, there is considerable attention on the potential for a immediate-term share buying race.</li>
<li>This is expected to trigger momentum trading flows directed at Korea Zinc. Such a scenario might lead the stock price to venture into an overshooting zone.</li>
</ul>


Korea's local market is perceiving the present HMG investment as a crucial indicator, signaling the initiation of an intense proxy battle for Korea Zinc.
Given the relatively constrained nature of the neutral minority stakes, falling below 30%, there is considerable attention on the potential for a immediate-term share buying race.
This is expected to trigger momentum trading flows directed at Korea Zinc. Such a scenario might lead the stock price to venture into an overshooting zone.


Unveiling the Potential of Korea Zinc's Emerging Proxy Battle

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

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Korea banned all short selling in March 2020 and resumed short selling only on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/korea-stock-exchange-kospi-200" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26021:1" rel="noopener">KOSPI 200</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kosdaq-150-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31077:1" rel="noopener">KOSDAQ 150</a> index constituents in May 2021.</li>
<li>News reports indicate that there could be another short sell ban as soon as the coming week. Indications are that the ban could last 6 months.</li>
<li>There are many implications of a total short sell ban including futures backwardation, market manipulation, and no emerging to developed market promotion.</li>
</ul>


Korea banned all short selling in March 2020 and resumed short selling only on KOSPI 200 and KOSDAQ 150 index constituents in May 2021.
News reports indicate that there could be another short sell ban as soon as the coming week. Indications are that the ban could last 6 months.
There are many implications of a total short sell ban including futures backwardation, market manipulation, and no emerging to developed market promotion.


Korea Short Sell Ban: Background, Manipulation, Holdings, Flows, Short Interest, Implications

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 short interest of KRX Stocks as of Apr 12th which has an aggregated short interest worth USD6.7bn.</li>
<li>We tabulate league table for top short by value and short as multiple of ADT, as well as weekly increases &amp; decreases in short value, short as multiple of ADT.</li>
<li>We highlight short interest changes in HMM, LG Electronics .</li>
</ul>


We analyzed the changes in short interest of KRX Stocks as of Apr 12th which has an aggregated short interest worth USD6.7bn.
We tabulate league table for top short by value and short as multiple of ADT, as well as weekly increases &amp; decreases in short value, short as multiple of ADT.
We highlight short interest changes in HMM, LG Electronics .


KRX Short Interest Weekly (Apr 12th): HMM, LG Electronics

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Equity Bottom-Up

HDC Hyundai Development Co-Engineering & Construction / Equity Bottom-Up

HDC Hyundai Development Co-Engineering & Construction

<ul>
<li>In this insight, we highlight the recent pricing gap divergences of the major Korean holdcos and opcos which could provide trading opportunities in 2Q 2024.</li>
<li>Of the 38 pair trades, 26 of them involved holdcos outperforming opcos in the past six months, suggesting increased capital allocation to Korean holdcos relative to their opcos.  </li>
<li>These pairs could generate trading opportunities in terms of their pricing gaps closing reversal. [CJ Corp vs CJ Cheiljedang &amp; Hanjin KAL Corp vs Korean Air Lines].</li>
</ul>


In this insight, we highlight the recent pricing gap divergences of the major Korean holdcos and opcos which could provide trading opportunities in 2Q 2024.
Of the 38 pair trades, 26 of them involved holdcos outperforming opcos in the past six months, suggesting increased capital allocation to Korean holdcos relative to their opcos.  
These pairs could generate trading opportunities in terms of their pricing gaps closing reversal. [CJ Corp vs CJ Cheiljedang &amp; Hanjin KAL Corp vs Korean Air Lines].


Korean Holdcos Vs Opcos Gap Trading Opportunities in 2Q 2024

South Korea

Korea Zinc Co., Ltd. specializes in non-ferrous metal smelting industry.  The Company manufactures zinc ingots, electrolytic gold, silver, lead, sulfuric acid, and copper.  Korea Zinc provides its products to domestic and overseas markets.

Korea Zinc (010130 KS)

Understanding & Assessing Yearend Dividend Arbitrage Structure Using Futures in Korea

This post offers insights into the framework of yearend dividend arbitrage trading using futures in the Korean market and assesses the current...

Sanghyun Park

Unveiling the Potential of Korea Zinc's Emerging Proxy Battle

This post explores the potential of a fierce proxy battle between two founding families of Korea Zinc as this development is expected to trigger...

Sanghyun Park

Korea Short Sell Ban: Background, Manipulation, Holdings, Flows, Short Interest, Implications

Media reports indicate that there could be a temporary short sell ban in Korea. This could lead to futures backwardation, market manipulation and a...

Brian Freitas

KRX Short Interest Weekly (Apr 12th): HMM, LG Electronics

We analyzed KRX short interest report for the past week. We estimate the short interests were USD6.7bn and highlighted short interest changes in...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Korean Holdcos Vs Opcos Gap Trading Opportunities in 2Q 2024

In this insight, we highlight the recent pricing gap divergences of the major Korean holdcos and opcos which could provide trading opportunities in...

Douglas Kim