Global Materials | Industrials | Commodities

Rahul Jain

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The exponential rise in AI workloads is triggering a global data center power crunch, with Asia facing the sharpest grid stress due to dense urban clusters and limited transmission infrastructure.</li>
<li>Japanese grid and power equipment firms are stepping in as key enablers, supplying transformers, substations, and energy management systems to support hyperscale AI deployments across Asia.</li>
<li>Top picks include Toshiba Energy, Hitachi Energy, and Fuji Electric, each positioned to capture structural AI-driven grid upgrades in India, Japan, and Southeast Asia.</li>
</ul>


The exponential rise in AI workloads is triggering a global data center power crunch, with Asia facing the sharpest grid stress due to dense urban clusters and limited transmission infrastructure.
Japanese grid and power equipment firms are stepping in as key enablers, supplying transformers, substations, and energy management systems to support hyperscale AI deployments across Asia.
Top picks include Toshiba Energy, Hitachi Energy, and Fuji Electric, each positioned to capture structural AI-driven grid upgrades in India, Japan, and Southeast Asia.


AI’s Power Bottleneck Becomes a Grid Opportunity

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist, LightStream Research

Campbell Gunn

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/143/496/original/2020-06-30_14-16-44.png?1593494217" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="143496"></figure>
<div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>
THE CASH CONVERSION CYCLE - Net Working Capital is a measure of how efficiently a company manages its short-term assets and liabilities to generate cash and is also known as the Cash Conversion Cycle. In practice, Net Working Capital is scaled by the number of days of Revenue or Cost of Goods Sold that are 'tied' up in three components - Receivables, Inventory, and Payables.
Net Working Capital Days varies by industry and the lower the number, the better. Amounts over 210 days are excessive, and a sign of business stress.  Net Working Capital is defined as:-
<ul>
<li>
+ Receivables/Revenue - the average number of days required to collect on sales. Businesses usually extend a degree of credit to non-cash customers.  Receivables Days over 100 are excessive.</li>
<li>
+ Inventory/Cost of Goods Sold - the average number of days it takes to sell out of Inventory. Amounts vary widely by industry but days over 210 are excessive.</li>
<li>- Payables/Cost of Goods Sold -the average number of days the company takes to settle transactions with suppliers. By extending nominally interest-free credit, suppliers provide operating leverage to a business. A larger negative number is better, but days less than -100 are excessive.</li>
</ul>
The relationship between Receivables and Payables should also be considered particularly where the company is giving more generous credit terms to its customers than it receives from its suppliers. The Cash Conversion Cycle for the aggregate of all non-financial currently-listed Japanese companies has averaged 77 days over the last thirty years. However, over the previous twelve months., a fourteen-day rise in Inventory Days during the last four years has pushed Net Working Capital Days to 93.
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/143/529/original/2020-06-30_15-09-41.png?1593497395" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="143529"></figure>
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/143/530/original/2020-06-30_15-10-32.png?1593497471" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="143530"></figure>
<div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>
<div class="content-caption"></div>
NET WORKING CAPITAL DAYS AS A STRESS TEST - The correlation between Net Working Capital Days and relative performance varies by company and by Sectors. The examples above show how signals can be heeded -  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikon-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7117:1" rel="noopener">Nikon (7731 JP)</a>, or ignored - <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/smc-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20866:1" rel="noopener">SMC (6273 JP)</a> since 2018. (For more on SMC working capital issues, please see my colleague <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/scott-foster" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:1134" rel="noopener">Scott Foster</a>'s Insight of last year - <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/smc-6273-jp-getting-in-line-with-reality" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:30081" rel="noopener">SMC (6273 JP): Getting in Line with Reality</a>).   
For this Insight, we have limited our review to larger capitalisation manufacturing companies. In the DETAIL section below, we shall cover the outliers at both ends of Receivables Days, Inventory Days, Payables Days, and finally Net Working Capital Days.


Source • Japan Analytics
THE CASH CONVERSION CYCLE - Net Working Capital is a measure of how efficiently a company manages its short-term assets and liabilities to generate cash and is also known as the Cash Conversion Cycle. In practice, Net Working Capital is scaled by the number of days of Revenue or Cost of Goods Sold that are 'tied' up in three components - Receivables, Inventory, and Payables.
Net Working Capital Days varies by industry and the lower the number, the better. Amounts over 210 days are excessive, and a sign of business stress.  Net Working Capital is defined as:-


+ Receivables/Revenue - the average number of days required to collect on sales. Businesses usually extend a degree of credit to non-cash customers.  Receivables Days over 100 are excessive.

+ Inventory/Cost of Goods Sold - the average number of days it takes to sell out of Inventory. Amounts vary widely by industry but days over 210 are excessive.
- Payables/Cost of Goods Sold -the average number of days the company takes to settle transactions with suppliers. By extending nominally interest-free credit, suppliers provide operating leverage to a business. A larger negative number is better, but days less than -100 are excessive.

The relationship between Receivables and Payables should also be considered particularly where the company is giving more generous credit terms to its customers than it receives from its suppliers. The Cash Conversion Cycle for the aggregate of all non-financial currently-listed Japanese companies has averaged 77 days over the last thirty years. However, over the previous twelve months., a fourteen-day rise in Inventory Days during the last four years has pushed Net Working Capital Days to 93.


Source • Japan Analytics

NET WORKING CAPITAL DAYS AS A STRESS TEST - The correlation between Net Working Capital Days and relative performance varies by company and by Sectors. The examples above show how signals can be heeded -  Nikon (7731 JP), or ignored - SMC (6273 JP) since 2018. (For more on SMC working capital issues, please see my colleague Scott Foster's Insight of last year - SMC (6273 JP): Getting in Line with Reality).   
For this Insight, we have limited our review to larger capitalisation manufacturing companies. In the DETAIL section below, we shall cover the outliers at both ends of Receivables Days, Inventory Days, Payables Days, and finally Net Working Capital Days.

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Stress Tests Part 5: Net Working Capital Outliers

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/133/055/original/2020-05-13_05-37-45.png?1589315906" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="133055"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>CASCADE - As expected, with many more of the larger listed companies reporting, our three Scores are falling in unison and at the fastest rate since 2008/9. With still over two-thirds of companies yet to report, there is more 'pain' ahead in this elongated 'season' of announcements. <figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/133/056/original/2020-05-13_06-21-24.png?1589318495" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="133056"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/133/057/original/2020-05-13_06-22-14.png?1589318598" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="133057"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>In the DETAIL below, we shall review the results, revisions and initial forecast announcements made by larger-cap (¥75b+) companies yesterday:-<div><ul>
<li>The balance between positive/neutral/negative of the 269 results announcements was 117:23:129. The average change in Results Score was -0.8.</li>
<li>For the 129 revisions/initial forecasts, the split was 39:7:83, and the average Revision Score was -4.6. Of the 213 companies declaring full-year results, 46% made forecasts for the current year.</li>
<li>
313 companies will announce on today, the largest of which by market capitalisation will be <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sony-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:563:1" rel="noopener">Sony (6758 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/takeda-pharmaceutical-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11747:1" rel="noopener">Takeda Pharmaceutical (4502 JP)</a>,  and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/eisai-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21001:1" rel="noopener">Eisai (4523 JP)</a>. </li>
<li>Tuesday's 'best' and 'worst' scoring results were from  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/gmo-internet-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13631:1" rel="noopener">GMO Internet (9449 JP)</a>  and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nissin-electric-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18567:1" rel="noopener">Nissin Electric (6641 JP)</a>, respectively. </li>
</ul></div>

Source • Japan AnalyticsCASCADE - As expected, with many more of the larger listed companies reporting, our three Scores are falling in unison and at the fastest rate since 2008/9. With still over two-thirds of companies yet to report, there is more 'pain' ahead in this elongated 'season' of announcements. Source • Japan AnalyticsIn the DETAIL below, we shall review the results, revisions and initial forecast announcements made by larger-cap (¥75b+) companies yesterday:-
The balance between positive/neutral/negative of the 269 results announcements was 117:23:129. The average change in Results Score was -0.8.
For the 129 revisions/initial forecasts, the split was 39:7:83, and the average Revision Score was -4.6. Of the 213 companies declaring full-year results, 46% made forecasts for the current year.

313 companies will announce on today, the largest of which by market capitalisation will be Sony (6758 JP), Takeda Pharmaceutical (4502 JP),  and Eisai (4523 JP). 
Tuesday's 'best' and 'worst' scoring results were from  GMO Internet (9449 JP)  and Nissin Electric (6641 JP), respectively. 


🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 12th May - Secom, Shiseido, Toyota, Sysmex, Mitsui Fudosan

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

TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX / Technical Analysis

Continue to favor EAFE over EM. As long as the U.S. dollar remains elevated, we believe  developed international (EAFE) will remain in a leadership position relative to EM (MSCI EM). In this report we highlight actionable set ups within Japan, Switzerland and Australia. Within Japanese Sectors, we focus on opportunities within Technology, Financials, Health Care, and Staples. We also highlight attractive setups within European/UK Sectors, including Health Care, Industrials, Staples and Utilities.

Continue to favor EAFE over EM. As long as the U.S. dollar remains elevated, we believe  developed international (EAFE) will remain in a leadership position relative to EM (MSCI EM). In this report we highlight actionable set ups within Japan, Switzerland and Australia. Within Japanese Sectors, we focus on opportunities within Technology, Financials, Health Care, and Staples. We also highlight attractive setups within European/UK Sectors, including Health Care, Industrials, Staples and Utilities.

We highlight attractive and actionable themes within developed international markets, including actionable set-ups across among: Non-bank Financials, Japanese Technology stocks, and within European Discretionary, Industrial, Health Care, and Staples sectors.

We highlight attractive and actionable themes within developed international markets, including actionable set-ups across among: Non-bank Financials, Japanese Technology stocks, and within European Discretionary, Industrial, Health Care, and Staples sectors.

Developed International Equity Strategy: Favor EAFE over EM

Japan

Nissin Electric Co., Ltd., an affiliate of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., manufactures and markets substation equipment, power distribution equipment, reactive power compensation equipment, supervisory control systems, ion doping systems, and photovoltaic system.

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Nissin Electric (6641 JP)

AI’s Power Bottleneck Becomes a Grid Opportunity

Exponential AI workload growth causing global data center power crunch, Asia hit hardest; Japanese firms stepping in to support hyperscale AI...

Rahul Jain

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Stress Tests Part 5: Net Working Capital Outliers

THE CASH CONVERSION CYCLE - Net Working Capital is a measure of how efficiently a company manages its short-term assets and liabilities to...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 12th May - Secom, Shiseido, Toyota, Sysmex, Mitsui Fudosan

CASCADE - As expected, with many more of the larger listed companies reporting, our three Scores are falling in unison and at the fastest rate...

Campbell Gunn

Developed Markets Opportunities

Continue to favor EAFE over EM. As long as the U.S. dollar remains elevated, we believe developed international (EAFE) will remain in a leadership...

Vermilion Research

Developed International Equity Strategy: Favor EAFE over EM

We highlight attractive and actionable themes within developed international markets, including actionable set-ups across among: Non-bank...

Vermilion Research

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52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

AI’s Power Bottleneck Becomes a Grid Opportunity

​Exponential AI workload growth causing global data center power crunch, Asia hit hardest; Japanese firms stepping in to support hyperscale AI...

Rahul Jain

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Stress Tests Part 5: Net Working Capital Outliers

THE CASH CONVERSION CYCLE - Net Working Capital is a measure of how efficiently a company manages its short-term assets and liabilities to...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 12th May - Secom, Shiseido, Toyota, Sysmex, Mitsui Fudosan

CASCADE - As expected, with many more of the larger listed companies reporting, our three Scores are falling in unison and at the fastest rate...

Campbell Gunn

Developed Markets Opportunities

Continue to favor EAFE over EM. As long as the U.S. dollar remains elevated, we believe developed international (EAFE) will remain in a leadership...

Vermilion Research

Developed International Equity Strategy: Favor EAFE over EM

We highlight attractive and actionable themes within developed international markets, including actionable set-ups across among: Non-bank...

Vermilion Research

Exponential AI workload growth causing global data center power crunch, Asia hit hardest; Japanese firms stepping in to support hyperscale AI...