'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.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<div>
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/146/170/original/2020-07-15_06-47-59.png?1594763291" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="146170"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/146/171/original/2020-07-15_06-49-16.png?1594763379" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="146171"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/izumi-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13173:1" rel="noopener">Izumi (8273 JP)</a></strong>- General merchandise retailer Izumi saw an unchanged Results Score and slightly improved Forecast/Revision Score as their initial full-year forecast suggests a bottoming out of the margin deterioration of the last seven quarters. The market-implied growth rate is now negative, and with the Relative Price Score more than half that of the 2017 peak, the shares now offer good value if the margin recovery is to continue. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>DAILY STATS</strong></p>
</div><hr><div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>74 Quarterly Results</strong></p></div><div><ul>
<li>
<strong>Results Score:</strong> 23 Positive / 10 Neutral / 41 Negative</li>
<li>
<strong>Average Results Score Change:</strong> -3.4</li>
<li>
<strong>Average % Change in Revenue:</strong> -10.9% Quarter YoY / -2.1% Rolling TTM YoY</li>
<li>
<strong>Average Operating Profit Margin Change: </strong>-2.3ppt</li>
<li>
<strong>Percentage Making Quarterly Losses</strong>: 35%</li>
</ul></div><hr><div><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>33 Annual • 10 Interim Forecasts/Revisions</strong></p></div><div><ul>
<li>
<strong>Annual Forecast/Revision Score:</strong> 16 Positive / 4 Neutral / 13 Negative</li>
<li>
<strong>Interim Forecast/Revision Score Change:</strong> 3 Positive / 1 Neutral / 6 Negative</li>
<li>
<strong>Average Forecast/Revision Score Change:</strong> -3.1</li>
</ul></div>


Source • Japan Analytics
Izumi (8273 JP)- General merchandise retailer Izumi saw an unchanged Results Score and slightly improved Forecast/Revision Score as their initial full-year forecast suggests a bottoming out of the margin deterioration of the last seven quarters. The market-implied growth rate is now negative, and with the Relative Price Score more than half that of the 2017 peak, the shares now offer good value if the margin recovery is to continue. 
DAILY STATS
74 Quarterly Results

Results Score: 23 Positive / 10 Neutral / 41 Negative

Average Results Score Change: -3.4

Average % Change in Revenue: -10.9% Quarter YoY / -2.1% Rolling TTM YoY

Average Operating Profit Margin Change: -2.3ppt

Percentage Making Quarterly Losses: 35%
 33 Annual • 10 Interim Forecasts/Revisions

Annual Forecast/Revision Score: 16 Positive / 4 Neutral / 13 Negative

Interim Forecast/Revision Score Change: 3 Positive / 1 Neutral / 6 Negative

Average Forecast/Revision Score Change: -3.1


🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 14th July - Uzumi, UUUM, Toho, Saizeriya, Create, Rakus

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/200/original/2020-04-09_06-30-15.png?1586381444" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127200"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • NHK</div><p><strong>SOCIAL SPREADING</strong> - As the restrictions are implemented with varying degrees of compliance in the designated prefectures in Japan, Japan's case-count continues to climb and is becoming more widespread geographically. There is anecdotal evidence of movement by those that can afford to do so to other areas of the country, which perhaps explains some of these increases. The Governor of Okinawa, which saw five new cases yesterday, has pleaded with citizens of other parts of Japan not to travel there. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Nagoya has been over-ruled by the Bolsonaro-like Governor of Aichi Prefecture in his request to implement stricter controls. A similar dynamic is playing out between the Governor of Tokyo, which saw a new high of 144 new cases yesterday, and the national government.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/201/original/IMG_1197.jpg?1586382076" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127201"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • NHK</div><p><strong>THE PATH TO 80%</strong> -  Japan's goal is to reduce social mobility by 80% and, as measured by activity on the <em>Yamanote</em> rail loop-line around central Tokyo, this was largely achieved last weekend. The reduction on weekdays at peak times from 30th March to 3rd April is still 40% as is activity at the famous Shibuya 'scramble' crossing as shown above. From personal observation, the public and businesses have yet to respond fully to the government's recommendations and there is still confusion as to which business can stay open and if so under what conditions they should operate. The default position, so far, for most non-leisure-related consumer-facing companies is to remain open with customer-distancing.  As the UK has learned to its cost, consistent and repeated messaging is required to ensure even a minimal level of compliance.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/205/original/2020-04-09_07-03-22.png?1586383423" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127205"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • OECD, Financial Times</div><p><strong>FALLOUT</strong> - Forty-two companies have already declared bankruptcy since the onset of COVID-19, all of which are hotels or tour companies. In light of the unclear messaging on compensation for businesses, a Tokyo taxi company yesterday laid off all of its 600 drivers recommending that claiming unemployment benefit would be the quickest way for them to receive benefits while suggesting they would be rehired at a later date. Unsurprisingly the 'Economy Watchers' survey which measures confidence in an array of 1,812 retail, restaurant and service-industry staff fell to 14.2 in March, the lowest score since the series started in 2002. The more robust Cabinet Office index of consumer confidence covering 6,806 households reached an eleven-year low of 30.9, slightly ahead of the March 2009 low of 29.4 and downgraded its assessment to 'worsening'. The OECD has published some ominous forecasts for the potential impact on GDP broken down by sector. We consider this to be a 'worst-case' scenario in the event of a full shutdown of social activity which the government is trying to avoid at all costs.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/212/original/File%202020-04-09%204%2005%2042.jpeg?1586384975" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127212"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/214/original/2020-04-09_03-38-04.png?1586385031" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127214"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Financial Times</div><div class="content-caption"></div><p><strong>PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE</strong> - In this respect, it is important to reflect that the case and absolute fatality rates from COVID-19 in Japan (as is also true in Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea) are very low. Medical scientists and several recent <strong><a href="https://www.icnarc.org/About/Latest-News/2020/03/22/Report-On-196-Patients-Critically-Ill-With-Covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">studies</a></strong>have posited that these benign outcomes may be related to a variety of physiological and environmental factors such as nutrition, obesity, air quality and exposure to Vitamin-D producing sunlight. Such factors may also explain the outcomes so far in Australia and Argentina relative to Spain and Italy. Having experienced the twin traumas of the 2008 financial crisis and the events of "3/11", the Japanse government and Japanese industry are pursuing a measured response which, we believe, will result in a less traumatic economic outcome than other developed countries may experience. Some Twitter 'wags' have compared the chart above to Hokusai's famous ukiyo-e print "<em>Kanagawa-oki Nami Ura</em>". The natural metaphor is quite apt as is the enduring quality of Fuji-san in the distance.</p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/127/216/original/2020-04-09_03-36-31.png?1586386089" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="127216"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Hokusai</div><p>In the <strong>DETAIL</strong> below, we shall review the fourteen results announcements and twelve revisions or initial forecasts. The positive/negative balance for results was 9:5, for revisions and forecasts the split was 2:0:9 continuing the recent trend of pessimistic outlooks for consumer-orientated businesses. </p>

Source • NHKSOCIAL SPREADING - As the restrictions are implemented with varying degrees of compliance in the designated prefectures in Japan, Japan's case-count continues to climb and is becoming more widespread geographically. There is anecdotal evidence of movement by those that can afford to do so to other areas of the country, which perhaps explains some of these increases. The Governor of Okinawa, which saw five new cases yesterday, has pleaded with citizens of other parts of Japan not to travel there. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Nagoya has been over-ruled by the Bolsonaro-like Governor of Aichi Prefecture in his request to implement stricter controls. A similar dynamic is playing out between the Governor of Tokyo, which saw a new high of 144 new cases yesterday, and the national government.Source • NHKTHE PATH TO 80% -  Japan's goal is to reduce social mobility by 80% and, as measured by activity on the Yamanote rail loop-line around central Tokyo, this was largely achieved last weekend. The reduction on weekdays at peak times from 30th March to 3rd April is still 40% as is activity at the famous Shibuya 'scramble' crossing as shown above. From personal observation, the public and businesses have yet to respond fully to the government's recommendations and there is still confusion as to which business can stay open and if so under what conditions they should operate. The default position, so far, for most non-leisure-related consumer-facing companies is to remain open with customer-distancing.  As the UK has learned to its cost, consistent and repeated messaging is required to ensure even a minimal level of compliance.Source • OECD, Financial TimesFALLOUT - Forty-two companies have already declared bankruptcy since the onset of COVID-19, all of which are hotels or tour companies. In light of the unclear messaging on compensation for businesses, a Tokyo taxi company yesterday laid off all of its 600 drivers recommending that claiming unemployment benefit would be the quickest way for them to receive benefits while suggesting they would be rehired at a later date. Unsurprisingly the 'Economy Watchers' survey which measures confidence in an array of 1,812 retail, restaurant and service-industry staff fell to 14.2 in March, the lowest score since the series started in 2002. The more robust Cabinet Office index of consumer confidence covering 6,806 households reached an eleven-year low of 30.9, slightly ahead of the March 2009 low of 29.4 and downgraded its assessment to 'worsening'. The OECD has published some ominous forecasts for the potential impact on GDP broken down by sector. We consider this to be a 'worst-case' scenario in the event of a full shutdown of social activity which the government is trying to avoid at all costs.Source • Financial TimesPROPORTIONATE RESPONSE - In this respect, it is important to reflect that the case and absolute fatality rates from COVID-19 in Japan (as is also true in Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea) are very low. Medical scientists and several recent studieshave posited that these benign outcomes may be related to a variety of physiological and environmental factors such as nutrition, obesity, air quality and exposure to Vitamin-D producing sunlight. Such factors may also explain the outcomes so far in Australia and Argentina relative to Spain and Italy. Having experienced the twin traumas of the 2008 financial crisis and the events of "3/11", the Japanse government and Japanese industry are pursuing a measured response which, we believe, will result in a less traumatic economic outcome than other developed countries may experience. Some Twitter 'wags' have compared the chart above to Hokusai's famous ukiyo-e print "Kanagawa-oki Nami Ura". The natural metaphor is quite apt as is the enduring quality of Fuji-san in the distance.Source • HokusaiIn the DETAIL below, we shall review the fourteen results announcements and twelve revisions or initial forecasts. The positive/negative balance for results was 9:5, for revisions and forecasts the split was 2:0:9 continuing the recent trend of pessimistic outlooks for consumer-orientated businesses. 

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results 8th April - Getting to 80%▼& The GDP Contraction Lottery

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

<p>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<em>.</em></p>

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.

<p>Global equities (MSCI ACWI) are decisively breaking above 1-month resistance on US-China trade war optimism, incrementally improving the technical picture. While there is some room to move higher in the near-term, we are hesitant to get too excited because several major indexes have additional hurdles to jump. We highlight important technical levels across major averages including Europe/UK (STOXX 600), Hong Kong (Hang Seng), Japan (TOPIX), and several EM countries (China, Brazil, Russia, Taiwan, and India).  Finally, we highlight attractive opportunities within the Consumer Discretionary, Heath Care and Services sectors.</p>

Global equities (MSCI ACWI) are decisively breaking above 1-month resistance on US-China trade war optimism, incrementally improving the technical picture. While there is some room to move higher in the near-term, we are hesitant to get too excited because several major indexes have additional hurdles to jump. We highlight important technical levels across major averages including Europe/UK (STOXX 600), Hong Kong (Hang Seng), Japan (TOPIX), and several EM countries (China, Brazil, Russia, Taiwan, and India).  Finally, we highlight attractive opportunities within the Consumer Discretionary, Heath Care and Services sectors.

<p>Heightened trade tensions have caused global equities to move from resistance to support in a matter of days. Additional consolidation - i.e., no breakdowns - on the broad global indexes (MSCI ACWI, ACWI ex-US, EAFE, and EM) remains the most likely scenario. At the same time, new cracks are beginning to show and as a result we believe global equities are vulnerable to a breakdown.  Along with a recap of important technical levels across major markets, we flip through several attractive Groups and stocks within Advertising, retail, restaurants, and travel, which offer attractive pullback opportunities.</p>

Heightened trade tensions have caused global equities to move from resistance to support in a matter of days. Additional consolidation - i.e., no breakdowns - on the broad global indexes (MSCI ACWI, ACWI ex-US, EAFE, and EM) remains the most likely scenario. At the same time, new cracks are beginning to show and as a result we believe global equities are vulnerable to a breakdown.  Along with a recap of important technical levels across major markets, we flip through several attractive Groups and stocks within Advertising, retail, restaurants, and travel, which offer attractive pullback opportunities.

Global Equity Strategy: Another Test of Support

Japan

SAIZERIYA CO., LTD. operates an Italian restaurant chain based in the Tokyo metropolitan area.  The Company's menu includes pizza, pasta, seafood, and meat entrees.

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Saizeriya (7581 JP)

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 14th July - Uzumi, UUUM, Toho, Saizeriya, Create, Rakus

Izumi (8273 JP)- General merchandise retailer Izumi saw an unchanged Results Score and slightly improved Forecast/Revision Score as their initial...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results 8th April - Getting to 80%▼& The GDP Contraction Lottery

SOCIAL SPREADING - As the restrictions are implemented with varying degrees of compliance in the designated prefectures in Japan, Japan's...

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

Global Equity Strategy: Guarded Optimism

Global equities (MSCI ACWI) are decisively breaking above 1-month resistance on US-China trade war optimism, incrementally improving the technical...

Vermilion Research

Global Equity Strategy: Another Test of Support

Heightened trade tensions have caused global equities to move from resistance to support in a matter of days. Additional consolidation - i.e., no...

Vermilion Research

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