Japan TMT Analyst

Pelham Smithers

Market Intel on Asian Tech with a Japan focus

Pelham Smithers Associates

Founded in 2009, Pelham Smithers Associates (PSA) provides market intelligence on Asian technology, focusing in particular on Japan. The industries covered by our team of specialists are: consumer electronics, telecomms, pharmaceuticals, internet, electronic parts and materials, automotive technology, retail and capital goods. 

Research is provided by the following:
Pelham Smithers: Macro, consumer electronics, telecoms & pharma
Joel Scheiman: Electronics materials / components
Julie Boote: Autos
Will Nestuk: Capital goods, machinery & transportation equipment parts
Thao Nguyen: eCommerce, internet content, marketing & advertising

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<p>While it is not a given that a switch from a high growth, high interest rate environment to a low growth, low interest rate environment is a good one for equities in general, it should be good for defensive stocks, because these are the most bond-like of equities and the switch almost defines a fixed income bull market. Japan may not have been particularly high growth or high interest rate in 2000, but it was certainly higher growth and higher interest rate than today, and it is no surprise that defensive sectors like foods (+210% relative to Topix since 1999) and pharmaceuticals (+160%) have done very well over this time.<br><br>The question, now, is whether this is set to continue, or whether we might have hit a turning point.</p>

While it is not a given that a switch from a high growth, high interest rate environment to a low growth, low interest rate environment is a good one for equities in general, it should be good for defensive stocks, because these are the most bond-like of equities and the switch almost defines a fixed income bull market. Japan may not have been particularly high growth or high interest rate in 2000, but it was certainly higher growth and higher interest rate than today, and it is no surprise that defensive sectors like foods (+210% relative to Topix since 1999) and pharmaceuticals (+160%) have done very well over this time.  The question, now, is whether this is set to continue, or whether we might have hit a turning point.

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hogy-medical-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10493:1" rel="noopener">Hogy Medical (3593 JP)</a>'s founder passed and there was a re-arranging of Hoki family deckchairs in 2021. In 2022 there was a BIG buyback from the family at ¥3,130/share.</li>
<li>I discussed it <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/huge-hogy-medical-3593-buyback-from-the-founding-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. I suggested that meant accretion, a family willing to sell, and an open register for a cheap company always heavily owned by value investors.</li>
<li>The stock went nowhere for 18mos as activists dallied. In 2024 it ran from ¥3,500 to ¥5,000 as Dalton bought 20%. Then they got a board seat. Now takeover noise.</li>
</ul>



Hogy Medical (3593 JP)'s founder passed and there was a re-arranging of Hoki family deckchairs in 2021. In 2022 there was a BIG buyback from the family at ¥3,130/share.
I discussed it here. I suggested that meant accretion, a family willing to sell, and an open register for a cheap company always heavily owned by value investors.
The stock went nowhere for 18mos as activists dallied. In 2024 it ran from ¥3,500 to ¥5,000 as Dalton bought 20%. Then they got a board seat. Now takeover noise.


[Japan Activism/M&A] Hogy Medical (3593) Reportedly Up For Auction - Totally Unsurprising

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

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/orion-breweries-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:45701:1" rel="noopener">Orion Breweries' (409A JP)</a> operations span across alcoholic beverages, tourism and hotel businesses. It raised around US$159m in its Japan IPO.</li>
<li>Orion Breweries (OBL) has a strong Okinawa market position. Share of overseas sales has been growing (~23% of FY25 revenues), while profitability has also largely been steady.</li>
<li>In our previous note, we looked at its past performance and the deal dynamics. In this note, look at the trading dynamics.</li>
</ul>



Orion Breweries' (409A JP) operations span across alcoholic beverages, tourism and hotel businesses. It raised around US$159m in its Japan IPO.
Orion Breweries (OBL) has a strong Okinawa market position. Share of overseas sales has been growing (~23% of FY25 revenues), while profitability has also largely been steady.
In our previous note, we looked at its past performance and the deal dynamics. In this note, look at the trading dynamics.


Orion Breweries IPO Trading - Robust Institutional Demand

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/orion-breweries-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:45701:1" rel="noopener">Orion Breweries' (409A JP)</a> operations span across alcoholic beverages, tourism and hotel businesses. It aims to raise around US$162m in its Japan IPO which could increase to US$196m (including over-allotment).</li>
<li>Orion Breweries (OBL) has a strong Okinawa market position. Share of overseas sales has been growing (~23% of FY25 revenues), while profitability has also largely been steady.</li>
<li>In our previous note, we looked at the firm’s past performance and peer comparison. In this note, we talk about the pricing updates and IPO valuations.</li>
</ul>



Orion Breweries' (409A JP) operations span across alcoholic beverages, tourism and hotel businesses. It aims to raise around US$162m in its Japan IPO which could increase to US$196m (including over-allotment).
Orion Breweries (OBL) has a strong Okinawa market position. Share of overseas sales has been growing (~23% of FY25 revenues), while profitability has also largely been steady.
In our previous note, we looked at the firm’s past performance and peer comparison. In this note, we talk about the pricing updates and IPO valuations.


Orion Breweries IPO - Deal Upsized; Lower End Looks Digestible

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/orion-breweries-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:45701:1" rel="noopener">Orion Breweries Limited's (409A JT)</a> operations span across alcoholic beverages, tourism and hotel businesses, aiming to raise ~US$126m in its Japan IPO via a mix of primary and secondary offerings.</li>
<li>Orion Breweries (OBL) has a strong Okinawa market position. Share of overseas sales has been growing (~23% of FY25 revenues), while profitability has also largely been steady.</li>
<li>In our previous note, we looked at the firm’s past performance. In this note, we talk about the peer comparison and IPO valuations.</li>
</ul>



Orion Breweries Limited's (409A JT) operations span across alcoholic beverages, tourism and hotel businesses, aiming to raise ~US$126m in its Japan IPO via a mix of primary and secondary offerings.
Orion Breweries (OBL) has a strong Okinawa market position. Share of overseas sales has been growing (~23% of FY25 revenues), while profitability has also largely been steady.
In our previous note, we looked at the firm’s past performance. In this note, we talk about the peer comparison and IPO valuations.


Orion Breweries IPO - Smaller Scale Warrants Discount

Japan

Sapporo Holdings Ltd produces and sells alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.  The Company's products include beer, wine, brandy, whiskey, imported beer, soft drinks, juice, coffee, and tea.  SAPPORO HOLDINGS also operates real estate businesses.

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Sapporo Holdings (2501 JP)

Death Rattle for Defensives?

While it is not a given that a switch from a high growth, high interest rate environment to a low growth, low interest rate environment is a good...

Pelham Smithers Associates

[Japan Activism/M&A] Hogy Medical (3593) Reportedly Up For Auction - Totally Unsurprising

After a BBG article on 9 Dec and a Nikkei article this weekend sending Hogy Medical limit up y/day, this AM Hogy says Carlyle has bid ¥6700/share...

Travis Lundy

Orion Breweries IPO Trading - Robust Institutional Demand

Orion Breweries Limited’s (OBL) operations span across alcoholic beverages, tourism and hotel businesses. It raised around US$159m in its Japan...

Akshat Shah

Orion Breweries IPO - Deal Upsized; Lower End Looks Digestible

Orion Breweries' operations span across alcoholic beverages, tourism and hotel businesses. It aims to raise around US$162m in its Japan IPO which...

Akshat Shah

Orion Breweries IPO - Smaller Scale Warrants Discount

Orion Breweries aims to raise around US$126m in its Japan IPO via a combination of a primary and secondary offering. In this note, we talk about...

Akshat Shah

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