Korea / Special Situations, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Situations

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

Clepsydra Capital

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

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Starting next week, the tax subcommittee is set to hash out the 25% proposal, and with the opposition unlikely to block it, the 25% top rate is basically locked in.</li>
<li>The street’s treating 30% payout as base case, betting on more upside. The committee may pick it up next week, with headlines likely hitting the KRX tape fast.</li>
<li>Locals are already chasing 30%+ payout, deep-value names, with gov’t aiming for a Taiwan-style re-rating. If dividend-tax headlines drop next week, these screened names could rip.</li>
</ul>


Starting next week, the tax subcommittee is set to hash out the 25% proposal, and with the opposition unlikely to block it, the 25% top rate is basically locked in.
The street’s treating 30% payout as base case, betting on more upside. The committee may pick it up next week, with headlines likely hitting the KRX tape fast.
Locals are already chasing 30%+ payout, deep-value names, with gov’t aiming for a Taiwan-style re-rating. If dividend-tax headlines drop next week, these screened names could rip.


Korea's 25% Dividend Tax Basically Locked In, Market Now Trading the 30% Payout Angle

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Douglas Research Advisory

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Our updated NAV valuation of LG Corp suggests implied market cap of 17.2 trillion won or target price of 111,605 won per share, representing 29.3% higher than current levels.</li>
<li>LG Corp's investment stakes in LG Chem and LG Electronics are worth 15.7 trillion won representing 119% of LG Corp's entire market cap.</li>
<li>Lower taxes on dividends could accelerate the capital allocation to companies with higher dividend yields/payouts such as LG Corp.</li>
</ul>


Our updated NAV valuation of LG Corp suggests implied market cap of 17.2 trillion won or target price of 111,605 won per share, representing 29.3% higher than current levels.
LG Corp's investment stakes in LG Chem and LG Electronics are worth 15.7 trillion won representing 119% of LG Corp's entire market cap.
Lower taxes on dividends could accelerate the capital allocation to companies with higher dividend yields/payouts such as LG Corp.


LG Corp: NAV Analysis Suggests a 29% Upside, Likely to Catch Up to LG Chem

<ul>
<li>“In the next 50 years... we won’t give a thought to selling those [Japanese trading companies].... Japan’s record has been extraordinary.” (Warren Buffett)</li>
<li>In this insight, we provide detailed comparisons of the five major Japanese trading companies and five major Korean holdcos/trading companies. </li>
<li>Japanese trading companies have higher points for market cap, ROE, DPS increase, and shares cancellation. Korean holdcos have higher points for dividend yield, debt/equity ratio, ROIC, and valuations. </li>
</ul>


“In the next 50 years... we won’t give a thought to selling those [Japanese trading companies].... Japan’s record has been extraordinary.” (Warren Buffett)
In this insight, we provide detailed comparisons of the five major Japanese trading companies and five major Korean holdcos/trading companies. 
Japanese trading companies have higher points for market cap, ROE, DPS increase, and shares cancellation. Korean holdcos have higher points for dividend yield, debt/equity ratio, ROIC, and valuations. 


Shareholder Returns of Japanese Trading Companies Invested By Buffett Vs Top Korean Trading/Holdcos

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Korea Exchange plans to announce the first rebalance of the "Korea Value Up Index" next week on 27 May. The actual rebalance is expected to take place on 13 June.</li>
<li>Korea Exchange plans to reduce the constituents to 100 (from 105 currently) and change 30% of the included stocks in this index to better reflect the Value Up program incentives. </li>
<li>In this insight, we provide a list of 20 potential exclusion candidates and 20 inclusion candidates in the Value Up index rebalance. </li>
</ul>


Korea Exchange plans to announce the first rebalance of the "Korea Value Up Index" next week on 27 May. The actual rebalance is expected to take place on 13 June.
Korea Exchange plans to reduce the constituents to 100 (from 105 currently) and change 30% of the included stocks in this index to better reflect the Value Up program incentives. 
In this insight, we provide a list of 20 potential exclusion candidates and 20 inclusion candidates in the Value Up index rebalance. 


Korea Value Up Index Rebalance Announcement Next Week

<ul>
<li>There are some major surprises (both inclusions and exclusions) in the Korea Value Up index. </li>
<li>In particular, the telecom sector (SK Telecom and KT) and large cap holding companies (Samsung C&amp;T and LG Corp) are surprising exclusions in the index.</li>
<li>There are many surprising inclusions in the Korea Value Up Index. We provide 30 companies are surprising inclusions in the Korea Value Up Index (19 KOSDAQ and 11 KOSPI listed).</li>
</ul>


There are some major surprises (both inclusions and exclusions) in the Korea Value Up index. 
In particular, the telecom sector (SK Telecom and KT) and large cap holding companies (Samsung C&amp;T and LG Corp) are surprising exclusions in the index.
There are many surprising inclusions in the Korea Value Up Index. We provide 30 companies are surprising inclusions in the Korea Value Up Index (19 KOSDAQ and 11 KOSPI listed).


Korea Value Up Index - Surprising Inclusions and Exclusions

South Korea

LG Corp. is a holding company, which operates subsidiaries including LG Electronics, LG Household & Health Care, LG Chem Ltd., and Dacom Corp. The Company's main business areas are electronics, chemicals, and household products manufacturing and telecommunications services.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

LG Corp (003550 KS)

Korea's 25% Dividend Tax Basically Locked In, Market Now Trading the 30% Payout Angle

Both parties locked in a new divvy-tax top band: a KRW 5bn+ lane getting hit with a 30% take-rate, though the real cap is basically 25% since...

Sanghyun Park

LG Corp: NAV Analysis Suggests a 29% Upside, Likely to Catch Up to LG Chem

Our updated NAV valuation of LG Corp suggests implied market cap of 17.2 trillion won or target price of 111,605 won per share, representing 29.3%...

Douglas Kim

Shareholder Returns of Japanese Trading Companies Invested By Buffett Vs Top Korean Trading/Holdcos

In this insight, we provide detailed comparisons of the five major Japanese trading companies and five major Korean holdcos/trading companies.

Douglas Kim

Korea Value Up Index Rebalance Announcement Next Week

Korea Exchange plans to announce the first rebalance of the "Korea Value Up Index" next week on 27 May. The actual rebalance is expected to take...

Douglas Kim

Korea Value Up Index - Surprising Inclusions and Exclusions

There are many surprising inclusions and exclusions in the Korea Value Up Index. We provide 30 companies that are surprising inclusions and 10...

Douglas Kim

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)