Korea / Special Situations, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Situations

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

Clepsydra Capital

Investigate special situations, pairs, and index rebalancing trades in Korea.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>We're starting to see some local market players getting ready and setting up trades that bet on a potential split for Samsung Electronics.</li>
<li>Samsung could leverage the buzz around spinning off its foundry business to split key units—foundry, memory chips, and others—into two or three separate companies at the shareholder meeting.</li>
<li>Additionally, the valuation gap between Samsung Electronics and Biologics has narrowed more than it has in the last decade, making it an even more attractive opportunity.</li>
</ul>


We're starting to see some local market players getting ready and setting up trades that bet on a potential split for Samsung Electronics.
Samsung could leverage the buzz around spinning off its foundry business to split key units—foundry, memory chips, and others—into two or three separate companies at the shareholder meeting.
Additionally, the valuation gap between Samsung Electronics and Biologics has narrowed more than it has in the last decade, making it an even more attractive opportunity.


Surging Buzz Around the Potential Split of Samsung Electronics

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Korea Stock Exchange Kospi Index / Event-Driven

Korea Stock Exchange Kospi Index (KOSPI INDEX)

<ul>
<li>Media reports indicate that the National Pension Service (NPS) could invest up to KRW 11tn (US$8.2bn) in a new index tracking stocks with low Price to Book ratios.</li>
<li>Filtering stocks with market cap higher than US$500m, ADTV of atleast US$1m, div yield of atleast 1.5% and Price to Book less than 1 throws up 94 potential index candidates.</li>
<li>Choosing an index of 50 stocks will require managers to buy between 1.7-3.4% of the float on the stocks. Increasing the number of constituents will reduce the impact.</li>
</ul>


Media reports indicate that the National Pension Service (NPS) could invest up to KRW 11tn (US$8.2bn) in a new index tracking stocks with low Price to Book ratios.
Filtering stocks with market cap higher than US$500m, ADTV of atleast US$1m, div yield of atleast 1.5% and Price to Book less than 1 throws up 94 potential index candidates.
Choosing an index of 50 stocks will require managers to buy between 1.7-3.4% of the float on the stocks. Increasing the number of constituents will reduce the impact.


Korea Value-Up Index: Probable Constituents & Impact of NPS' US$8.2bn Allocation

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 / Event-Driven

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 (KOSPI2 INDEX EQUITY)

<ul>
<li>Korea banned all short selling in March 2020 and resumed short selling only on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/korea-stock-exchange-kospi-200" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26021:1" rel="noopener">KOSPI 200</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kosdaq-150-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31077:1" rel="noopener">KOSDAQ 150</a> index constituents in May 2021.</li>
<li>News reports indicate that there could be another short sell ban as soon as the coming week. Indications are that the ban could last 6 months.</li>
<li>There are many implications of a total short sell ban including futures backwardation, market manipulation, and no emerging to developed market promotion.</li>
</ul>


Korea banned all short selling in March 2020 and resumed short selling only on KOSPI 200 and KOSDAQ 150 index constituents in May 2021.
News reports indicate that there could be another short sell ban as soon as the coming week. Indications are that the ban could last 6 months.
There are many implications of a total short sell ban including futures backwardation, market manipulation, and no emerging to developed market promotion.


Korea Short Sell Ban: Background, Manipulation, Holdings, Flows, Short Interest, Implications

Global Healthcare Analyst

Tina Banerjee

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Hansoh’s risvutatug rezetecan for second-line treatment of SCLC has been included in NMPA’s Priority Review. InSilico completed first patient enrollment and dosing in Phase 3 trial evaluating rentosertib in IPF.</li>
<li>Shionogi received approval in Australia for cefiderocol for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. Kyowa Kirin’s Phase 2 trial for ophthalmic drug candidate did not meet primary endpoint.</li>
<li>Samsung Biologics signed a new CMO contract worth $262M with a European pharmaceutical company. SK Biopharmaceutical received notification regarding FDA's partial clinical hold on its epilepsy drug candidate, opakalim.</li>
</ul>


Hansoh’s risvutatug rezetecan for second-line treatment of SCLC has been included in NMPA’s Priority Review. InSilico completed first patient enrollment and dosing in Phase 3 trial evaluating rentosertib in IPF.
Shionogi received approval in Australia for cefiderocol for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. Kyowa Kirin’s Phase 2 trial for ophthalmic drug candidate did not meet primary endpoint.
Samsung Biologics signed a new CMO contract worth $262M with a European pharmaceutical company. SK Biopharmaceutical received notification regarding FDA's partial clinical hold on its epilepsy drug candidate, opakalim.


APAC Healthcare Weekly (Sept 13) – Hansoh, InSilico, Shionogi, Kyowa Kirin, Samsung Bio, SK Biopharm

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-biologics-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22932:1" rel="noopener">Samsung Biologics (207940 KS)</a> reported 1Q26 revenue of KRW1.3T, up 26% YoY. Operating profit increased 35% YoY to KRW581B, leading to 320bps margin improvement to 46.2%.</li>
<li>The solid performance was mainly driven by full utilization across Plants 1 through 4 and continued project execution. Cumulative contract value exceeding $21B, reflecting continued demand from global clients.</li>
<li>Samsung Biologics remains firmly on track to deliver its previously announced annual target, supported by year-round full operation of Plants 1 to 4 and Plant 5 ramp-up.</li>
</ul>



Samsung Biologics (207940 KS) reported 1Q26 revenue of KRW1.3T, up 26% YoY. Operating profit increased 35% YoY to KRW581B, leading to 320bps margin improvement to 46.2%.
The solid performance was mainly driven by full utilization across Plants 1 through 4 and continued project execution. Cumulative contract value exceeding $21B, reflecting continued demand from global clients.
Samsung Biologics remains firmly on track to deliver its previously announced annual target, supported by year-round full operation of Plants 1 to 4 and Plant 5 ramp-up.


Samsung Biologics (207940 KS): Starts 2026 with Double-Digit Revenue Growth; FY Guidance Reaffirmed

South Korea

Samsung Biologics Co.,Ltd. manufactures bio-healthcare products. The Company develops, refines, and distributes biopharmaceutical products.

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Samsung Biologics (207940 KS)

Surging Buzz Around the Potential Split of Samsung Electronics

This post dives into the potential split of Samsung Electronics, one of the hot topics currently heating up Korea's stock market.

Sanghyun Park

Korea Value-Up Index: Probable Constituents & Impact of NPS' US$8.2bn Allocation

The NPS and KRW as said to be discussing the creation of the Korea Value-Up Index and the NPS could benchmark KRW 11tn to the index. We look at...

Brian Freitas

Korea Short Sell Ban: Background, Manipulation, Holdings, Flows, Short Interest, Implications

Media reports indicate that there could be a temporary short sell ban in Korea. This could lead to futures backwardation, market manipulation and a...

Brian Freitas

APAC Healthcare Weekly (Sept 13) – Hansoh, InSilico, Shionogi, Kyowa Kirin, Samsung Bio, SK Biopharm

Hansoh’s risvutatug rezetecan has been included in NMPA’s Priority Review. InSilico initiates rentosertib Phase 3 trial in IPF. Samsung Biologics...

Tina Banerjee