Asia Pac ECM and Index Rebal, Shenton Research

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac ECM and Index Rebal

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China Biotech

Shenton Research

Shenton Research is an independent Asia Pacific equity specialist. Our quantitative research covers index rebalancing flows, alongside exchange data analytics accross Asia Pacific. On the equity capital markets side, we focus on Asia Pacific ECM, especially biotech and TMT. Our lead analyst is frequently cited by international media.

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>We screen the Japan equity universe ahead of the MS-Japan August 2026 quarterly review.</li>
<li>We expect one ADD and two DELETE candidates with mid to high conviction.</li>
<li>The main risk is that our estimated cutoffs or FF values.</li>
</ul>


We screen the Japan equity universe ahead of the MS-Japan August 2026 quarterly review.
We expect one ADD and two DELETE candidates with mid to high conviction.
The main risk is that our estimated cutoffs or FF values.


MS-Japan Sep 2026 Index Rebalance Forecast

Japan Specialist

Mark Chadwick

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Nikkon Holdings: Oasis’s 7.6% stake adds momentum to Farallon-backed real estate monetization and capital returns, with low ROE, undervalued assets, and improving allocation sustaining upside. </li>
<li>Niterra Co., Ltd.: ValueAct’s 5.3% stake may push sharper focus, ICE cash harvesting, cross-shareholding reduction, and higher buybacks, accelerating simplification toward higher-margin ceramics and semiconductor exposure.</li>
<li>A&amp;D HOLON Holdings: Strategic Capital’s 5.3% stake targets conglomerate discount, seeking capital allocation reform as profitable semiconductor operations remain undervalued within mixed-performing measurement and healthcare segments.</li>
</ul>


Nikkon Holdings: Oasis’s 7.6% stake adds momentum to Farallon-backed real estate monetization and capital returns, with low ROE, undervalued assets, and improving allocation sustaining upside. 
Niterra Co., Ltd.: ValueAct’s 5.3% stake may push sharper focus, ICE cash harvesting, cross-shareholding reduction, and higher buybacks, accelerating simplification toward higher-margin ceramics and semiconductor exposure.
A&amp;D HOLON Holdings: Strategic Capital’s 5.3% stake targets conglomerate discount, seeking capital allocation reform as profitable semiconductor operations remain undervalued within mixed-performing measurement and healthcare segments.


Japan Activist Briefs | Nikkon, Niterra, A&D Holon

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MUFG) / Technical Analysis

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MUFG) (8306 JP)

<ul>
<li>Our bullish outlook on global equities (MSCI ACWI) remains intact. Actionable Themes today include Financials, Energy, and Consumer Discretionary (European Luxury Retailers)</li>
<li>We view this pullback as a buying opportunity and we are watching for $116-$117 support to hold on ACWI-US; this is an important resistance-turned-support level dating back to July 2024.</li>
<li>Europe and Japan are on the cusp of major breakouts above critical resistance levels of 5000-5120 on the EURO STOXX 50 and 2740-2820 on the TOPIX</li>
</ul>


Our bullish outlook on global equities (MSCI ACWI) remains intact. Actionable Themes today include Financials, Energy, and Consumer Discretionary (European Luxury Retailers)
We view this pullback as a buying opportunity and we are watching for $116-$117 support to hold on ACWI-US; this is an important resistance-turned-support level dating back to July 2024.
Europe and Japan are on the cusp of major breakouts above critical resistance levels of 5000-5120 on the EURO STOXX 50 and 2740-2820 on the TOPIX


Opportunity Within Europe and Japan; EURO STOXX 50 and TOPIX/Nikkei 225 Near Major Breakouts

<ul>
<li>Our outlook remains bullish on global equities (MSCI ACWI) with ACWI-US and the S&amp;P 500 holding above their respective bases at $117 and 5650-5670.</li>
<li>We've discussed since mid-October how we would use any pre-election pullback in the MSCI ACWI or the SPX (U.S. remains our only country overweight) as an opportunity to add exposure</li>
<li>And we continue to see a high probability of significant upside going into year-end and the early part of 2025.</li>
</ul>


Our outlook remains bullish on global equities (MSCI ACWI) with ACWI-US and the S&amp;P 500 holding above their respective bases at $117 and 5650-5670.
We've discussed since mid-October how we would use any pre-election pullback in the MSCI ACWI or the SPX (U.S. remains our only country overweight) as an opportunity to add exposure
And we continue to see a high probability of significant upside going into year-end and the early part of 2025.


Buy the Pullback in MSCI ACWI and S&P 500; Buys in Uranium, Transports, Services, Technology, More

<ul>
<li>The bullish outlook for global equities (MSCI ACWI) that we initiated in early November 2023 remains intact; continue to ride this trend higher.</li>
<li>Many of the heavily-weighted countries in terms of global market capitalization (U.S., Europe, Japan) are extended; we'd welcome some consolidation, though it may come from higher levels.</li>
<li>Ultimately, market dynamics remain healthy, and we would treat pullbacks as buying opportunities. Downgrading India to market weight. Actionable Themes: Global Materials, Energy, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrials</li>
</ul>


The bullish outlook for global equities (MSCI ACWI) that we initiated in early November 2023 remains intact; continue to ride this trend higher.
Many of the heavily-weighted countries in terms of global market capitalization (U.S., Europe, Japan) are extended; we'd welcome some consolidation, though it may come from higher levels.
Ultimately, market dynamics remain healthy, and we would treat pullbacks as buying opportunities. Downgrading India to market weight. Actionable Themes: Global Materials, Energy, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrials


Bullish Outlook Intact; Downgrading India; Buys in Materials, Energy, Discretionary, Industrials

Japan

NGK SPARK PLUG Co., Ltd. manufactures and markets spark plugs for automobiles, motorcycles, agricultural machinery, ships, and aircrafts.  The Company also makes ceramic products for semiconductor and telecommunication equipment. NGK Spark Plug markets its products under the NGK and NTK brand names and has subsidiaries in the US, Canada, France, Germany, and South Korea.

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Ngk Spark Plug (5334 JP)

MS-Japan Sep 2026 Index Rebalance Forecast

We expect Niterra to enter MSCI Japan at the August 2026 Quarterly Index Review, and Kyowa Kirin and Suntory Beverage and Food to be deleted.

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Japan Activist Briefs | Nikkon, Niterra, A&D Holon

Activists taking new stakes in Nikkon Holdings, Niterra, and A&D HOLON aim to unlock value through strategic changes and capital returns in...

Mark Chadwick

Opportunity Within Europe and Japan; EURO STOXX 50 and TOPIX/Nikkei 225 Near Major Breakouts

Opportunity Within Europe and Japan $HEDJ $DXJ; EURO $STOXX 50 and $TOPIX/Nikkei 225 Near Major Breakouts. $ACWI above $116. Buys in Financials,...

Vermilion Research

Buy the Pullback in MSCI ACWI and S&P 500; Buys in Uranium, Transports, Services, Technology, More

Buy the Pullback in MSCI $ACWI and $SPX; Still bullish on global equities with $ACWI and the SPX holding above their respective bases at $117 and...

Vermilion Research

Bullish Outlook Intact; Downgrading India; Buys in Materials, Energy, Discretionary, Industrials

Bullish Outlook Intact on MSCI ACWI; Downgrading India to Market; Market Dynamics Healthy; Treat Pullbacks as Buying Opportunities; Buys in global...

Vermilion Research

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