Global Materials | Industrials | Commodities

Rahul Jain

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Precious and energy-transition metals lead as structural scarcity, central-bank demand, and electrification support gold, silver, copper, aluminium, zinc, and rare earths into 2026.</li>
<li>Bulks and hydrocarbons lag with weak China demand, oversupply, and compressed margins across iron ore, nickel, steel, coal, and crude, keeping the segment firmly underweight.</li>
<li>Top Asia exposures include Zijin, Korea Zinc, Hindustan Zinc, Vedanta, CMOC, JXAM, SMM, Mitsui, Jiangxi Copper, NALCO, Hongqiao, Hindalco, Shenghe, and CNRE.</li>
</ul>


Precious and energy-transition metals lead as structural scarcity, central-bank demand, and electrification support gold, silver, copper, aluminium, zinc, and rare earths into 2026.
Bulks and hydrocarbons lag with weak China demand, oversupply, and compressed margins across iron ore, nickel, steel, coal, and crude, keeping the segment firmly underweight.
Top Asia exposures include Zijin, Korea Zinc, Hindustan Zinc, Vedanta, CMOC, JXAM, SMM, Mitsui, Jiangxi Copper, NALCO, Hongqiao, Hindalco, Shenghe, and CNRE.


Asia Metals Outlook 2026: Scarcity Favours Gold, Copper, Aluminium

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Douglas Research Advisory

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>On 28 November, the Korean National Assembly reached an agreement on a tax reform plan to officially lower taxes on dividends income. </li>
<li>The decline in tax on dividends is a definite step in the right direction. Nonetheless, the top bracket dividend tax rate cut was slightly less than what market was expecting. </li>
<li>Given that about 15%-25% dividend tax rates are more common in other developed countries,  Korea's reduction of dividend taxes is likely to be welcomed highly by many global investors.</li>
</ul>


On 28 November, the Korean National Assembly reached an agreement on a tax reform plan to officially lower taxes on dividends income. 
The decline in tax on dividends is a definite step in the right direction. Nonetheless, the top bracket dividend tax rate cut was slightly less than what market was expecting. 
Given that about 15%-25% dividend tax rates are more common in other developed countries,  Korea's reduction of dividend taxes is likely to be welcomed highly by many global investors.


Top Bracket Dividend Tax Rate Lowered to 30% in Korea [Moderately Positive]

APAC IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Akshat Shah

APAC IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Equity Capital Markets

Nippon Steel Corporation / Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/posco-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:208:1" rel="noopener">POSCO Holdings (005490 KS)</a> is looking to sell its remaining stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nippon-steel-corporation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:961:1" rel="noopener">Nippon Steel Corporation (5401 JP)</a> to raise up to US$154m via a cleanup block trade.</li>
<li>This deal represents 1.6 days of ADV and is around 1% of shares outstanding.</li>
<li>In this note, we will talk about the placement and run the deal through our ECM framework.</li>
</ul>



POSCO Holdings (005490 KS) is looking to sell its remaining stake in Nippon Steel Corporation (5401 JP) to raise up to US$154m via a cleanup block trade.
This deal represents 1.6 days of ADV and is around 1% of shares outstanding.
In this note, we will talk about the placement and run the deal through our ECM framework.


Nippon Steel Placement - Cleanup by Posco Right After Expiry of Previous Deal

<ul>
<li>Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Hyun-jung has introduced a revised Income Tax Act that would lower the top tax rate on dividend income from 35% to 25%.</li>
<li>Given that this proposal is coming from the ruling Democratic Party, there is a fairly high probability that this could be passed into law in 3Q 2025.</li>
<li>We provide a list of 28 mid-cap/large cap stocks in Korea with more than 35% dividend payout and 3% or more dividend yield that could benefit from this new proposal.</li>
</ul>


Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Hyun-jung has introduced a revised Income Tax Act that would lower the top tax rate on dividend income from 35% to 25%.
Given that this proposal is coming from the ruling Democratic Party, there is a fairly high probability that this could be passed into law in 3Q 2025.
We provide a list of 28 mid-cap/large cap stocks in Korea with more than 35% dividend payout and 3% or more dividend yield that could benefit from this new proposal.


Separate Dividend Tax Plan in Korea: A Push for a 25% Rate for Top Bracket

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech, Aequitas Research

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech

Quantitative Analysis

<ul>
<li>We analyzed the changes in foreign holdings of KRX stocks as of Oct 31st. The aggregated holding was USD862.4bn.</li>
<li>We estimate that foreign flows to be inflows of USD77mln. We tabulate the league table for top changes by value for 1W/4W/1Y and top stocks held by foreign institutions.</li>
<li>We highlight changes of foreign holdings in SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Ocean, Hyundai Motor, Samsung Elec (PREF).</li>
</ul>


We analyzed the changes in foreign holdings of KRX stocks as of Oct 31st. The aggregated holding was USD862.4bn.
We estimate that foreign flows to be inflows of USD77mln. We tabulate the league table for top changes by value for 1W/4W/1Y and top stocks held by foreign institutions.
We highlight changes of foreign holdings in SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Ocean, Hyundai Motor, Samsung Elec (PREF).


KRX Foreign Holding Weekly (Oct 31st): SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Ocean, Hyundai Motor

South Korea

POSCO manufactures various types of steel products.  The Company produces hot rolled steel, cold rolled steel, stainless steel, and other forms of steel. The products are mainly used for automobile, construction, and shipbuilding industries.

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Posco ADR (PKX US)

Asia Metals Outlook 2026: Scarcity Favours Gold, Copper, Aluminium

Precious and energy-transition metals set to outperform bulks and hydrocarbons through 2026, with top Asia exposures including Zijin, Korea Zinc,...

Rahul Jain

Top Bracket Dividend Tax Rate Lowered to 30% in Korea [Moderately Positive]

On 28 November, the Korean National Assembly reached an agreement on a tax reform plan to officially lower taxes on dividends income.

Douglas Kim

Nippon Steel Placement - Cleanup by Posco Right After Expiry of Previous Deal

Posco Holdings is looking to sell its remaining stake in Nippon Steel (5401 JP) to raise up to US$154m via a cleanup block trade.

Akshat Shah

Separate Dividend Tax Plan in Korea: A Push for a 25% Rate for Top Bracket

The final decision to lower top bracket dividend tax from 35% to 25% could be made in the next several days. There have been increasing local news...

Douglas Kim

KRX Foreign Holding Weekly (Oct 31st): SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Ocean, Hyundai Motor

We analyzed KRX foreign holding data for the past week and highlighted foreign holding changes in SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Ocean,...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Asia Metals Outlook 2026: Scarcity Favours Gold, Copper, Aluminium

​Precious and energy-transition metals set to outperform bulks and hydrocarbons through 2026, with top Asia exposures including Zijin, Korea Zinc,...

Rahul Jain

Top Bracket Dividend Tax Rate Lowered to 30% in Korea [Moderately Positive]

On 28 November, the Korean National Assembly reached an agreement on a tax reform plan to officially lower taxes on dividends income.

Douglas Kim

Nippon Steel Placement - Cleanup by Posco Right After Expiry of Previous Deal

Posco Holdings is looking to sell its remaining stake in Nippon Steel (5401 JP) to raise up to US$154m via a cleanup block trade.

Akshat Shah

Separate Dividend Tax Plan in Korea: A Push for a 25% Rate for Top Bracket

The final decision to lower top bracket dividend tax from 35% to 25% could be made in the next several days. There have been increasing local news...

Douglas Kim

KRX Foreign Holding Weekly (Oct 31st): SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Ocean, Hyundai Motor

We analyzed KRX foreign holding data for the past week and highlighted foreign holding changes in SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Ocean,...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Precious and energy-transition metals set to outperform bulks and hydrocarbons through 2026, with top Asia exposures including Zijin, Korea Zinc,...