Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>On 28 April 2022, with full-year earnings, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fujitsu-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16968:1" rel="noopener">Fujitsu Ltd (6702 JP)</a> announced a buyback programme to buy back up to 12mm shares (6.11% of shares out) for up to ¥150bn</li>
<li>That was when the shares were ¥18,540. The shares popped 10% in 2 days. Then fell 25% into end-September. Yesterday, they announced they'd bought back 1.9mm shares in November.</li>
<li>Those were the first shares bought back under the Programme. And that leaves 4 months and a lot of stock to buy. </li>
</ul>


On 28 April 2022, with full-year earnings, Fujitsu Ltd (6702 JP) announced a buyback programme to buy back up to 12mm shares (6.11% of shares out) for up to ¥150bn
That was when the shares were ¥18,540. The shares popped 10% in 2 days. Then fell 25% into end-September. Yesterday, they announced they'd bought back 1.9mm shares in November.
Those were the first shares bought back under the Programme. And that leaves 4 months and a lot of stock to buy. 


Fujitsu (6702) Buyback Just Getting Started

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>On Friday, Toshiba investors got two bits of news which have been taken as non-bullish.</li>
<li>Affiliate and former subsidiary <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kioxia" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29243:1" rel="noopener">Kioxia (6600 JP)</a> announced it would cut wafer input volume by 30% starting in October, and Toshiba's announcement on the Privatisation process status implied some delay.</li>
<li>Today the shares are getting hit vs Peers. It's still a problem of lots of moving parts. </li>
</ul>


On Friday, Toshiba investors got two bits of news which have been taken as non-bullish.
Affiliate and former subsidiary Kioxia (6600 JP) announced it would cut wafer input volume by 30% starting in October, and Toshiba's announcement on the Privatisation process status implied some delay.
Today the shares are getting hit vs Peers. It's still a problem of lots of moving parts. 


<ul>
<li>Three interviews and comments by Senior Toshiba Boardmembers (chairperson and head of Special Committee) and the CEO prep the ground for a full company deal, or no deal.</li>
<li>If no deal, there's downside to the 5yr average Toshiba/Peers ratio. If you see 50% deal probability, at mid ¥6000s or better, IRRs are OK. But there is jump risk.</li>
<li>I don't see the activists just deciding to bail en masse if no deal. I think they take it further, which means I think the Board wants a deal.</li>
</ul>


Three interviews and comments by Senior Toshiba Boardmembers (chairperson and head of Special Committee) and the CEO prep the ground for a full company deal, or no deal.
If no deal, there's downside to the 5yr average Toshiba/Peers ratio. If you see 50% deal probability, at mid ¥6000s or better, IRRs are OK. But there is jump risk.
I don't see the activists just deciding to bail en masse if no deal. I think they take it further, which means I think the Board wants a deal.


Toshiba (6502 JP) Getting Closer to Crunch Time So Ongoing News "Leaks" Likely

Japan Specialist

Mark Chadwick

<ul>
<li>NEC's buyback announcement sends a clear message that the MTP is on track and management feel the stock is undervalued</li>
<li>The recent IR DAY increased our conviction in the financial model. We were impressed with the improving pipeline of Open RAN customers</li>
<li>The stock is significantly undervalued, trading below book value, with improving ROE</li>
</ul>


NEC's buyback announcement sends a clear message that the MTP is on track and management feel the stock is undervalued
The recent IR DAY increased our conviction in the financial model. We were impressed with the improving pipeline of Open RAN customers
The stock is significantly undervalued, trading below book value, with improving ROE


<ul>
<li>Since late June when I recommended to not be long Toshiba vs Peers, Toshiba has fallen 9.5% vs Peers (-6% on its own and an equal-weighted Peer Basket is +3.9%).</li>
<li>If one assumes the likelihood of a privatisation has not gone down, and the likely takeout price is the same, back-end adjusted, probability-adjusted IRRs are up 6-8%, to decent levels.</li>
<li>This changes my recommendation from Bearish to Probability-Adjusted Bullish, but it is nuanced, and it is still a range trade.</li>
</ul>


Since late June when I recommended to not be long Toshiba vs Peers, Toshiba has fallen 9.5% vs Peers (-6% on its own and an equal-weighted Peer Basket is +3.9%).
If one assumes the likelihood of a privatisation has not gone down, and the likely takeout price is the same, back-end adjusted, probability-adjusted IRRs are up 6-8%, to decent levels.
This changes my recommendation from Bearish to Probability-Adjusted Bullish, but it is nuanced, and it is still a range trade.


Toshiba (6502) Update - No Longer Worthwhile to Be Short Toshiba Vs Peers

Japan

NEC Corporation manufactures and markets computers, telecommunication equipment, electronic devices, semiconductors, and software.  The Company's products include printers, modems, cellular phones, plasma display panels (PDP), network systems, memory, integrated circuits (IC), thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), and printed circuit boards (PCB). NEC operates worldwide.

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NEC Corp (6701 JP)

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Two Bits of Non-Bullish Toshiba News

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Bidders are approaching 2nd Round deadlines, and news/comments are starting to seep out. Expect more. I expect a decision at/after H1 results. If...

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NEC (6701) | Even Higher Conviction

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Toshiba (6502) Update - No Longer Worthwhile to Be Short Toshiba Vs Peers

The IRR to be obtained by buying Toshiba and expecting Probability X% of a Privatisation and (1-X%) of no deal has gone up sharply since end-June....

Travis Lundy

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