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Granite Bay Capital

An innovation focussed investment company

Granite Bay Capital is an innovation focussed investment company with a deep focus on the companies at the leading edge of innovation across major themes such as AI, ubiquitous computing, sustainability, automation and longevity.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

Headline Developments Nassim Taleb, the celebrated Black Swan author and mathematician, has published a paper trashing bitcoin.  In the paper (excerpts below), Taleb claims the theoretical value of bitcoin is zero, saying it is not a currency, can be neither a short or long term store of value, cannot operate as a reliable inflation hedge and, “worst of all”, does not constitute “not even remotely” a tail protection vehicle for catastrophic episodes (i.

Headline Developments Nassim Taleb, the celebrated Black Swan author and mathematician, has published a paper trashing bitcoin.  In the paper (excerpts below), Taleb claims the theoretical value of bitcoin is zero, saying it is not a currency, can be neither a short or long term store of value, cannot operate as a reliable inflation hedge and, “worst of all”, does not constitute “not even remotely” a tail protection vehicle for catastrophic episodes (i.

Asian Insight Provider - Actionable ideas, CrossASEAN Research

Henry Soediarko

Asian Insight Provider - Actionable ideas

CrossASEAN Research

At CrossASEAN Research we strive to produce unbiased and differentiated on the ground insights on companies across South East Asia. Our Research is produced for the most part after face to face meetings and conversations with company management to dig deep into the long term vision and strategy of the companies we cover. We seek to deliver investable and actionable themes on sectors and markets across SE Asia, often in collaboration with other Insight Providers across the region, pooling the vast experience of the analysts within the Smartkarma Ecosystem. We also offer bespoke work and tailor made trips for our clients. 

Insights across South East Asia

The MCO in Malaysia has been extended and many wonder what will happen to the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kuala-lumpur-composite-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22913:1" rel="noopener">Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) (FBMKLCI INDEX)</a>after this. In this insight, we will discuss auto and TV sectors that benefit from supportive government policy and prolonged stay-home consumer behavior respectively, namely <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/umw-holdings-bhd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1700:1" rel="noopener">UMW Holdings (UMWH MK)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/drb-hicom-bhd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19627:1" rel="noopener">DRB-Hicom Bhd (DRB MK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/astro-malaysia-holdings-bhd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1143:1" rel="noopener">Astro Malaysia Holdings (ASTRO MK)</a> .

The MCO in Malaysia has been extended and many wonder what will happen to the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) (FBMKLCI INDEX)after this. In this insight, we will discuss auto and TV sectors that benefit from supportive government policy and prolonged stay-home consumer behavior respectively, namely UMW Holdings (UMWH MK) , DRB-Hicom Bhd (DRB MK) and Astro Malaysia Holdings (ASTRO MK) .

Headline Developments China is looking to continue its rout on crypto, pushing for the suspension of some crypto mining operations late last week.  Chinese Vice Premier Liu He told a group of officials that the Government would “clamp down on bitcoin mining and trading activity” to achieve financial stability.

Headline Developments China is looking to continue its rout on crypto, pushing for the suspension of some crypto mining operations late last week.  Chinese Vice Premier Liu He told a group of officials that the Government would “clamp down on bitcoin mining and trading activity” to achieve financial stability.

Alpha-Centric ESG Research

Kyle Rudden

Oh, the inhumanity of Monopolium Inquisitorum, leviathans made to stand before the judgement of inquisitorial courts. Repent and reform, or burn in everlasting… fine, maybe just shed a few worldly possessions, WhatsApp would be a good start, and stop coveting thy neighbors' data so much.Big technology companies (aka "Big Tech") are the subject of ever-expanding antitrust inquisitions by regulators and courts around the world. In the U.S., informal inquiries into prominent members of FAANG by the U.S. Congress turned into formal antitrust suits, first Alphabet then Facebook.Yesterday, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced yet another inquiry, this one into the data collection practices of social media companies. It mentioned nine companies by name, a few of which are "new" to this conversation (ByteDance, Tencent-investee Discord, and Snap).This Insight looks at one particular ESG angle to this antitrust stuff. Specifically, the potential for antitrust investigations – not the outcomes, but the process – to trigger ESG ratings downgrades and, in turn, constituency changes to major ESG indices. Summary points, for the cover page:<ul>
<li>Antitrust investigations will inevitably result in additional ESG ratings downgrades, and since most ESG indices are constructed using those ratings, constituency changes are likely.</li>
<li>Index changes might not happen until annual reviews a few months from now, but they are not tied to eventual antitrust outcomes (e.g., breakups) that could be years away, or not at all.</li>
<li>Presently, Facebook and Alphabet are the only U.S. stocks that stand out vis-à-vis the potential for antitrust-driven changes to ESG ratings and/or ESG indices (more so for Facebook).</li>
<li>Let's be honest, we are not talking about Tesla being added to the S&amp;P 500. Even for larger ESG indices, index-linked AUM is comparatively small vis-à-vis broader market indices.</li>
<li>However, one thing keeps it interesting. ESG indices are bloated with Big Tech, many of which are right behind Facebook and Alphabet on the antitrust plank walk.</li>
</ul>Herein, I explain my thought process – antitrust, to ESG ratings downgrades, to ESG index changes – then cover Facebook and Alphabet in some detail (albeit limited by constraints). There is less to say about the other U.S. "antitrust stocks" at the moment, but that may change. More importantly, I am looking into something similar, but related to Asian stocks. So, more to come.

Oh, the inhumanity of Monopolium Inquisitorum, leviathans made to stand before the judgement of inquisitorial courts. Repent and reform, or burn in everlasting… fine, maybe just shed a few worldly possessions, WhatsApp would be a good start, and stop coveting thy neighbors' data so much.Big technology companies (aka "Big Tech") are the subject of ever-expanding antitrust inquisitions by regulators and courts around the world. In the U.S., informal inquiries into prominent members of FAANG by the U.S. Congress turned into formal antitrust suits, first Alphabet then Facebook.Yesterday, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced yet another inquiry, this one into the data collection practices of social media companies. It mentioned nine companies by name, a few of which are "new" to this conversation (ByteDance, Tencent-investee Discord, and Snap).This Insight looks at one particular ESG angle to this antitrust stuff. Specifically, the potential for antitrust investigations – not the outcomes, but the process – to trigger ESG ratings downgrades and, in turn, constituency changes to major ESG indices. Summary points, for the cover page:
Antitrust investigations will inevitably result in additional ESG ratings downgrades, and since most ESG indices are constructed using those ratings, constituency changes are likely.
Index changes might not happen until annual reviews a few months from now, but they are not tied to eventual antitrust outcomes (e.g., breakups) that could be years away, or not at all.
Presently, Facebook and Alphabet are the only U.S. stocks that stand out vis-à-vis the potential for antitrust-driven changes to ESG ratings and/or ESG indices (more so for Facebook).
Let's be honest, we are not talking about Tesla being added to the S&amp;P 500. Even for larger ESG indices, index-linked AUM is comparatively small vis-à-vis broader market indices.
However, one thing keeps it interesting. ESG indices are bloated with Big Tech, many of which are right behind Facebook and Alphabet on the antitrust plank walk.
Herein, I explain my thought process – antitrust, to ESG ratings downgrades, to ESG index changes – then cover Facebook and Alphabet in some detail (albeit limited by constraints). There is less to say about the other U.S. "antitrust stocks" at the moment, but that may change. More importantly, I am looking into something similar, but related to Asian stocks. So, more to come.

Big Tech Antitrust Scrutiny Could Mean ESG Ratings Downgrades, Constituency Changes for ESG Indices

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning, Copley Fund Research

Steven Holden

Asset Allocation & Fund Positioning

Copley Fund Research

Copley Fund Research provide research and data on asset allocation among Global and Emerging Market equity funds.  The analysis details absolute and relative positioning across countries, sectors and industries together with highly granular data on single stock and single fund allocations.  The data is updated monthly with time series going back to January 2011.

Global Research - Analysis of 165 prominent Global equity funds, combined AUM $335bn
GEM Research - Analysis of 127 prominent global EM equity funds, combined AUM $250bn

Asset Allocation - Global and GEM Equity

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>US underweight rises to highest ever level among Global investors</li>
<li>Tech and Consumer Discretionary outperformance drives underweights higher</li>
<li>Increasing underweight driven by passive inflows as large cap stocks dominate indices.</li>
<li>Active funds running larger underweight positions among top index constituents.</li>
<li>Active buying to close underweight holdings fuels the fire of the large-cap rally further still.</li>
</ul>Analysis taken from our global active manager research, covering 391 global funds with a combined AUM of $750bn


US underweight rises to highest ever level among Global investors
Tech and Consumer Discretionary outperformance drives underweights higher
Increasing underweight driven by passive inflows as large cap stocks dominate indices.
Active funds running larger underweight positions among top index constituents.
Active buying to close underweight holdings fuels the fire of the large-cap rally further still.
Analysis taken from our global active manager research, covering 391 global funds with a combined AUM of $750bn

The Anatomy of the US Underweight (And the Effect of Rising Passive ETF Flows in the US).

United States

Netflix Inc. is an Internet subscription service for watching tv shows and movies. Subscribers can instantly watch unlimited TV shows and movies streamed over the Internet to their TVs, computers and mobile devices and in the United States, subscribers can receive standard definition DVDs and Blu-ray Discs delivered to their homes.

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Netflix Inc (NFLX US)

Weekly Innovation Review (WIRE) #37

Nassim Taleb, the celebrated Black Swan author and mathematician, has published a paper trashing bitcoin. In the paper, Taleb claims the...

Granite Bay Capital

Malaysia MCO: Winners

auto and TV benefit from supportive government policy and prolonged stay-home consumer behavior respectively, namely UMW Holdings , DRB-Hicom Bhd...

Henry Soediarko

Weekly Innovation Review #33

Headline Developments China is looking to continue its rout on crypto, pushing for the suspension of some crypto mining operations late last week. ...

Granite Bay Capital

Big Tech Antitrust Scrutiny Could Mean ESG Ratings Downgrades, Constituency Changes for ESG Indices

Antitrust broaches several highly-material ESG issues. Growing antitrust scrutiny of "Big Tech" could lead to ESG rating downgrades, and in turn,...

Kyle Rudden

The Anatomy of the US Underweight (And the Effect of Rising Passive ETF Flows in the US).

ETF inflows drive underweights in US equities to record levels. Active buying to close underweights in major index stocks fuels the rally further...

Steven Holden

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