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

Korea Stock Exchange Kospi Index / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>The Constitutional Court approved President Yoon’s impeachment. The PM steps in as interim president, with a new election expected by May 28, 2025, before June 3.</li>
<li>The Democratic Party is the frontrunner, and if they win, expect a "regime change trade" with policy shifts toward green energy, welfare, public stimulus, and SME-focused initiatives.</li>
<li>Big-Cap builders, nuclear stocks, and major financials may struggle if the new regime focuses on public housing, anti-nuclear policies, and pro-SME, labor-friendly initiatives.</li>
</ul>


The Constitutional Court approved President Yoon’s impeachment. The PM steps in as interim president, with a new election expected by May 28, 2025, before June 3.
The Democratic Party is the frontrunner, and if they win, expect a "regime change trade" with policy shifts toward green energy, welfare, public stimulus, and SME-focused initiatives.
Big-Cap builders, nuclear stocks, and major financials may struggle if the new regime focuses on public housing, anti-nuclear policies, and pro-SME, labor-friendly initiatives.


Yoon’s Impeachment Confirmed: Key Timeline & Regime Change Trade

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 foreign holdings of KRX stocks as of Mar 28th which has an aggregated holding worth USD490.5bn.</li>
<li>We estimate that foreign flows to be inflows of USD1,292mln. We tabulate the league table for top changes by value for 1W/4W/1Y and top stocks held by foreign institutions.</li>
<li>We highlight changes of foreign holdings in Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Aerospace, SK Hynix, Hyundai Motor, Kia.</li>
</ul>


We analyzed the changes in foreign holdings of KRX stocks as of Mar 28th which has an aggregated holding worth USD490.5bn.
We estimate that foreign flows to be inflows of USD1,292mln. We tabulate the league table for top changes by value for 1W/4W/1Y and top stocks held by foreign institutions.
We highlight changes of foreign holdings in Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Aerospace, SK Hynix, Hyundai Motor, Kia.


KRX Foreign Holding Weekly (Mar 28th): Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Aerospace, SK Hynix

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Douglas Research Advisory

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>One of the big thematic events on the Korean stock market has been the expectation that China could lift ban on Korean popular culture (Hallyu) as early as May 2025. </li>
<li>China's President Xi recently stated <em>"Cultural exchanges are a valuable part of our bilateral relations [between China and Korea]. We should avoid any problems occurring in handling such matters.” </em>
</li>
<li>We provide a list of 40 stocks in Korea that could most benefit from the end of lifting ban of Korean popular culture. </li>
</ul>


One of the big thematic events on the Korean stock market has been the expectation that China could lift ban on Korean popular culture (Hallyu) as early as May 2025. 
China's President Xi recently stated "Cultural exchanges are a valuable part of our bilateral relations [between China and Korea]. We should avoid any problems occurring in handling such matters.” 

We provide a list of 40 stocks in Korea that could most benefit from the end of lifting ban of Korean popular culture. 


China Could Lift Ban on Korean Popular Culture (Hallyu) As Early As May 2025

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 review period for the March rebalance ended on 31 January, changes will be announced first week of March and implemented at the close of trading on 13 March.</li>
<li>We forecast two changes for the Bio Index and one change for the Internet Index. Plus there will be capping changes for all indices.</li>
<li>The largest flows will be in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-sdi-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:503:1" rel="noopener">Samsung SDI</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lg-energy-solution" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:33464:1" rel="noopener">LG Energy Solution</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/posco-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:208:1" rel="noopener">POSCO Holdings</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alteogen-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15886:1" rel="noopener">Alteogen</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/naver-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16029:1" rel="noopener">Naver Corp</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/legochem-biosciences-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19803:1" rel="noopener">Legochem Biosciences</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/netmarble-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22839:1" rel="noopener">Netmarble</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/celltrion-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:991:1" rel="noopener">Celltrion Inc</a>.</li>
</ul>


The review period for the March rebalance ended on 31 January, changes will be announced first week of March and implemented at the close of trading on 13 March.
We forecast two changes for the Bio Index and one change for the Internet Index. Plus there will be capping changes for all indices.
The largest flows will be in Samsung SDI, LG Energy Solution, POSCO Holdings, Alteogen, Naver Corp, Legochem Biosciences, Netmarble and Celltrion Inc.


KRX New Deal Index Rebalance Preview: Smaller Deal Than Usual

<ul>
<li>Samsung Electronics announced that it will revamp its executive compensation system to include treasury shares as incentives. Samsung has benchmarked TSMC in terms of paying treasury shares to its employees.</li>
<li>Samsung Electronics' decision to revamp its executive compensation system to include treasury shares as incentives aligns the interests of the shareholders along with the company's management.</li>
<li>Now that Samsung Electronics has incorporated stock based incentive system, it is likely that other Korean companies that could follow suit. </li>
</ul>


Samsung Electronics announced that it will revamp its executive compensation system to include treasury shares as incentives. Samsung has benchmarked TSMC in terms of paying treasury shares to its employees.
Samsung Electronics' decision to revamp its executive compensation system to include treasury shares as incentives aligns the interests of the shareholders along with the company's management.
Now that Samsung Electronics has incorporated stock based incentive system, it is likely that other Korean companies that could follow suit. 


Samsung Electronics: Revamping Executive Compensation to Include Stocks - Benchmarking TSMC

South Korea

Krafton, Inc. operates as a game development company. The Company develops console games, mobile games, computer games, and other related products. Krafton markets its products throughout South Korea.

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Krafton (259960 KS)

Yoon’s Impeachment Confirmed: Key Timeline & Regime Change Trade

Yoon’s impeachment confirmed: What is the immediate impact on the local stock market, and which sectors are likely to move.

Sanghyun Park

KRX Foreign Holding Weekly (Mar 28th): Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Aerospace, SK Hynix

We analyzed KRX foreign holding data for the past week and highlighted foreign holding changes in Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Aerospace, SK Hynix,...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

China Could Lift Ban on Korean Popular Culture (Hallyu) As Early As May 2025

One of the big thematic events that have impacted the Korean stock market this week has been the expectation that China could lift ban on Korean...

Douglas Kim

KRX New Deal Index Rebalance Preview: Smaller Deal Than Usual

Indications are for a smaller rebalance than usual as index performance suffers and AUM continues to shrink. There are some constituent changes...

Brian Freitas

Samsung Electronics: Revamping Executive Compensation to Include Stocks - Benchmarking TSMC

Samsung Electronics announced it will revamp its executive compensation system to include treasury shares as incentives, better aligning the...

Douglas Kim

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