Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas, Azabu Research

Michael Allen

Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas

Azabu Research

Azabu Research is a publishing and consulting firm focused on distressed equities in the Japanese market. We specialize in turnaround strategies, corporate combinations, divestitures, and restructuring.

Publisher of the Tokyo Turnaround Letter, which conducts the most thorough research possible of publicly available information, including forensic tests for fraudulent overstatement of assets and understatement of liabilities, as well as rigorous market and industry analysis to assess the underlying strengths of the company’s products or services, the appropriateness of the company’s turnaround strategy, and the skill of its current management team. The average length of a report exceeds 25 pages of text and tables, excluding any disclosures or executive summaries.

We have more than 30 years of experience in applying this process to distressed equities in Japan. Additionally, subscribers have free access to detailed, yet easily navigated earnings models for the target company as well as the top five comparable companies, and unlimited access to the analyst for follow-up questions.

Azabu Research also conducts be-spoke research on a project basis, and provides consulting services to companies looking to restructure, divest, make acquisitions, go public, or improve investor sentiment toward their stock.

Independent Research and Consulting Firm

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Markets are mispricing NSD as an AI‑exposed legacy Systems Integrator despite zero evidence of disruption—orders, revenues, margins, and guidance keep rising, while the stock trades as if decline is inevitable.</li>
<li>Japan’s chronic engineer shortage flips the AI narrative: automation increases demand, outsourcing accelerates, and NSD’s deep client entrenchment makes it a structural beneficiary, not a casualty.</li>
<li>With fortress cash flow, steady EPS compounding, and conservative assumptions, discounted earnings imply about 40% upside. </li>
</ul>


Markets are mispricing NSD as an AI‑exposed legacy Systems Integrator despite zero evidence of disruption—orders, revenues, margins, and guidance keep rising, while the stock trades as if decline is inevitable.
Japan’s chronic engineer shortage flips the AI narrative: automation increases demand, outsourcing accelerates, and NSD’s deep client entrenchment makes it a structural beneficiary, not a casualty.
With fortress cash flow, steady EPS compounding, and conservative assumptions, discounted earnings imply about 40% upside. 


NSD (9759):  Why the AI Threat Doesn’t Translate into Japanese

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/future-corporation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5485:1" rel="noopener">Future Corporation (4722 JP)</a> announced a Chairman-led MBO at JPY2,451, a 2.9% premium to the last close of JPY2,382.  </li>
<li>The low takeover premium could be explained by the mysterious 65.13% share price surge from 24 June to 27 July. Also, the offer represents an all-time high. </li>
<li>However, the offer is below the midpoint of the special committee's IFA DCF valuation range and is light relative to precedent transactions, potentially attracting activists.</li>
</ul>



Future Corporation (4722 JP) announced a Chairman-led MBO at JPY2,451, a 2.9% premium to the last close of JPY2,382.  
The low takeover premium could be explained by the mysterious 65.13% share price surge from 24 June to 27 July. Also, the offer represents an all-time high. 
However, the offer is below the midpoint of the special committee's IFA DCF valuation range and is light relative to precedent transactions, potentially attracting activists.


Future Corp (4722 JP): A Chairman-Led MBO Could Invite Activism

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

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Many indexes (ACWI-US,ACWX-US,etc.) are near support, and we could see a bear market bounce, but until these indexes reverse their downtrends and break above resistance levels, we cannot be bullish.</li>
<li>On a positive note, we are starting to see signs that inflation is peaking, as commodity prices have pulled back substantially, and the Energy/Materials Sectors are under significant pressure.</li>
<li>If inflation and commodity prices have indeed peaked, global equities are likely in the early stages of a bottoming process.</li>
</ul>


Many indexes (ACWI-US,ACWX-US,etc.) are near support, and we could see a bear market bounce, but until these indexes reverse their downtrends and break above resistance levels, we cannot be bullish.
On a positive note, we are starting to see signs that inflation is peaking, as commodity prices have pulled back substantially, and the Energy/Materials Sectors are under significant pressure.
If inflation and commodity prices have indeed peaked, global equities are likely in the early stages of a bottoming process.


Inflation Peaking?; ACWI, ACWI Ex-US Near Support; Many Bottoms-Up Stock Recommendations

Global indexes including the MSCI ACWI and ACWI ex-US are following in the MSCI EM index’s footsteps by breaking to new highs. This is bullish and signals a new leg higher is underway. Additionally, the US dollar is showing signs of a breakdown, something we view as a positive for global risk sentiment as long as the decline continues to be orderly. Overall our outlook remains bullish and we suggest buying any dips. Growth remains long-term leadership -- remain overweight. Attractive growth Sectors highlighted in today’s report include: Health Care, Services, Technology, and Communications

Global indexes including the MSCI ACWI and ACWI ex-US are following in the MSCI EM index’s footsteps by breaking to new highs. This is bullish and signals a new leg higher is underway. Additionally, the US dollar is showing signs of a breakdown, something we view as a positive for global risk sentiment as long as the decline continues to be orderly. Overall our outlook remains bullish and we suggest buying any dips. Growth remains long-term leadership -- remain overweight. Attractive growth Sectors highlighted in today’s report include: Health Care, Services, Technology, and Communications

U.S. Dollar Breakdown: Bullish For Ex-U.S. Equities

TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX / Technical Analysis

In this report we highlight attractive and actionable themes within developed int’l markets: Technology and Industrials continue to be two of the most attractive Sectors globally -- overweight. These two Sectors account for half of today’s individual recommendations Countries that are (1) developing positively in terms of price and RS and (2) have significant representation in this report include: Japan (TOPIX), Switzerland (SMI), and France (CAC 40).Outside of the above themes, a bottoms-up approach is required to uncover attractive and actionable stocks. On page 4 we include a table of all stocks highlighted in this report.

In this report we highlight attractive and actionable themes within developed int’l markets: Technology and Industrials continue to be two of the most attractive Sectors globally -- overweight. These two Sectors account for half of today’s individual recommendations Countries that are (1) developing positively in terms of price and RS and (2) have significant representation in this report include: Japan (TOPIX), Switzerland (SMI), and France (CAC 40).Outside of the above themes, a bottoms-up approach is required to uncover attractive and actionable stocks. On page 4 we include a table of all stocks highlighted in this report. 

Overweight Global Technology & Industrials

Japan

NSD CO., LTD is an independent computer software development company. The Company's products include operating systems, business software for financial industry, and process control systems.  NSD also provides computer services including managing computer systems and data entry. The Company also sells computers and its peripheral equipment.

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NSD Co Ltd (9759 JP)

NSD (9759): Why the AI Threat Doesn’t Translate into Japanese

Markets are undervaluing NSD as an AI-exposed legacy Systems Integrator, but labor shortages mean Japanese clients can't move their IT business in...

Michael Allen

Future Corp (4722 JP): A Chairman-Led MBO Could Invite Activism

While an all-time high, the offer is below the midpoint of the special committee's IFA DCF valuation range and is light relative to precedent...

Arun George

Inflation Peaking?; ACWI, ACWI Ex-US Near Support; Many Bottoms-Up Stock Recommendations

We're starting to see signs that inflation is peaking, as commodity prices have pulled back substantially or are breaking, and the Energy $XLE and...

Vermilion Research

U.S. Dollar Breakdown: Bullish For Ex-U.S. Equities

Global indexes including the MSCI ACWI and ACWI ex-US are following in the MSCI EM index’s footsteps by breaking to new highs. This is bullish and...

Vermilion Research

Overweight Global Technology & Industrials

In this report we highlight attractive and actionable themes within developed int’l markets: Technology and Industrials continue to be two of the...

Vermilion Research

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

NSD (9759): Why the AI Threat Doesn’t Translate into Japanese

​Markets are undervaluing NSD as an AI-exposed legacy Systems Integrator, but labor shortages mean Japanese clients can't move their IT business in...

Michael Allen

Future Corp (4722 JP): A Chairman-Led MBO Could Invite Activism

While an all-time high, the offer is below the midpoint of the special committee's IFA DCF valuation range and is light relative to precedent...

Arun George

Inflation Peaking?; ACWI, ACWI Ex-US Near Support; Many Bottoms-Up Stock Recommendations

We're starting to see signs that inflation is peaking, as commodity prices have pulled back substantially or are breaking, and the Energy $XLE and...

Vermilion Research

U.S. Dollar Breakdown: Bullish For Ex-U.S. Equities

Global indexes including the MSCI ACWI and ACWI ex-US are following in the MSCI EM index’s footsteps by breaking to new highs. This is bullish and...

Vermilion Research

Overweight Global Technology & Industrials

In this report we highlight attractive and actionable themes within developed int’l markets: Technology and Industrials continue to be two of the...

Vermilion Research

Markets are undervaluing NSD as an AI-exposed legacy Systems Integrator, but labor shortages mean Japanese clients can't move their IT business in...