Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>In December, I thought the March 2025 Nikkei 225 Rebalance was going to be 2 ADDs 2 DELETEs and a double-capping for Fast Retailing. </li>
<li>Fast Retailing has fallen sharply vs Nikkei 225, and another stock has announced a large-multiple share split, making it a strong candidate for Nikkei 225 ADDITION in March 2025.</li>
<li>There is short-term path risk on all three ADDs, but they are definitely worth watching. Keep an eye out for separate insights on two of these names.</li>
</ul>


In December, I thought the March 2025 Nikkei 225 Rebalance was going to be 2 ADDs 2 DELETEs and a double-capping for Fast Retailing. 
Fast Retailing has fallen sharply vs Nikkei 225, and another stock has announced a large-multiple share split, making it a strong candidate for Nikkei 225 ADDITION in March 2025.
There is short-term path risk on all three ADDs, but they are definitely worth watching. Keep an eye out for separate insights on two of these names.


[Quiddity Index Jan25] Nikkei 225 Mar Rebal: 3 IN, 3 OUT, $3bn One Way

Research Coverage of Japanese Listed Companies, Shared Research Inc

Shared Research

Research Coverage of Japanese Listed Companies

Shared Research Inc

Pioneering research coverage of Japanese listed companies. Now customizable and interactive for global institutional investors. Corporate access reimagined.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>In FY08/24, the company reported sales of JPY110.6bn (+25.7% YoY) and operating profit of JPY10.5bn (-8.9% YoY).</li><li>Software Testing Related Services segment sales reached JPY71.3bn (+22.4% YoY), with operating profit of JPY16.2bn (+11.4% YoY).</li><li>For FY08/25, the company forecasts sales of JPY130.0bn (+17.5% YoY) and operating profit of JPY13.5bn (+28.1% YoY).</li></ul>

In FY08/24, the company reported sales of JPY110.6bn (+25.7% YoY) and operating profit of JPY10.5bn (-8.9% YoY).Software Testing Related Services segment sales reached JPY71.3bn (+22.4% YoY), with operating profit of JPY16.2bn (+11.4% YoY).For FY08/25, the company forecasts sales of JPY130.0bn (+17.5% YoY) and operating profit of JPY13.5bn (+28.1% YoY).

Shift Inc (3697 JP): Full-year FY08/24 flash update

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

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The median stock in our Dogs of Topix basket outperformed the median stock in the Topix 400 by 4% through Sept 2024.</li>
<li>This is below the average of 7% achieved by such stocks over the past 9 years, but it was a much tougher stretch than it looked. </li>
<li>Do we need to re-think? Much can be learned comparing the outperformers, whose median return was +34%, compared to the underperformers, which declined 23%.</li>
</ul>


The median stock in our Dogs of Topix basket outperformed the median stock in the Topix 400 by 4% through Sept 2024.
This is below the average of 7% achieved by such stocks over the past 9 years, but it was a much tougher stretch than it looked. 
Do we need to re-think? Much can be learned comparing the outperformers, whose median return was +34%, compared to the underperformers, which declined 23%.


Have the Rules for Bottom Fishing Changed?

Index Rebalance

Pan Pacific International Holdings / Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>Today we saw the culmination of the ridiculously wrong-way Nikkei 225 Sep25 rebalance. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shift-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7266:1" rel="noopener">Shift Inc (3697 JP)</a> looked like a classic deletion, not addition.</li>
<li>93.3% of the observation period has now passed, which means we can look at the March 2026 Periodic Review with a fair bit of accuracy.</li>
<li>It is likely to be the runner-ups in the Sep25 review from the Consumer Goods sector, though the second-runner-up ADD needs a stock split to have any chance. More below.</li>
</ul>


Today we saw the culmination of the ridiculously wrong-way Nikkei 225 Sep25 rebalance. Shift Inc (3697 JP) looked like a classic deletion, not addition.
93.3% of the observation period has now passed, which means we can look at the March 2026 Periodic Review with a fair bit of accuracy.
It is likely to be the runner-ups in the Sep25 review from the Consumer Goods sector, though the second-runner-up ADD needs a stock split to have any chance. More below.


[Quiddity Index] Oct25 Leaderboard for Nikkei 225 Mar26 Review; One In One Out Likely

David Blennerhassett

<ul>
<li>Trading in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sony-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:563:1" rel="noopener">Sony Corp (6758 JP)</a> with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sony-financial-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:564:1" rel="noopener">Sony Financial Group (8729 JP)</a> spin-off rights has passed. SFGI starts trading separately on 29 Sep. ¥150/share is good. ¥130-140/share is even better.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/naspers-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21085:1" rel="noopener">Naspers (NPN SJ)</a>'s NAV is edging towards the low-end on a 12-month basis, However, the implied stub is out of whack as <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/prosus-nv" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28104:1" rel="noopener">Prosus NV (PRX NA)</a> outperforms.</li>
<li>The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shandong-hi-speed-holdings-gro" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10356:1" rel="noopener">Shandong Hi-Speed Holdings (412 HK)</a> bubble has finally popped. Now what?</li>
</ul>


Trading in Sony Corp (6758 JP) with Sony Financial Group (8729 JP) spin-off rights has passed. SFGI starts trading separately on 29 Sep. ¥150/share is good. ¥130-140/share is even better.

Naspers (NPN SJ)'s NAV is edging towards the low-end on a 12-month basis, However, the implied stub is out of whack as Prosus NV (PRX NA) outperforms.
The Shandong Hi-Speed Holdings (412 HK) bubble has finally popped. Now what?


Last Week In Event SPACE: Sony Corp/Sony Financial, Naspers/Prosus, Shandong Hi-Speed, Shift Inc

Japan

SHIFT Inc. offers information technology outsourcing services. The Company provides outsourcing software testing services to corporations and individual clients. SHIFT also provides software solutions and consulting services, as well as educational classes and programs.

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Shift Inc (3697 JP)

[Quiddity Index Jan25] Nikkei 225 Mar Rebal: 3 IN, 3 OUT, $3bn One Way

Nikkei 225 March 2025 Rebalance could easily be three ADDs and three DELETEs this time. Last time it could have been too, but they only went for...

Travis Lundy

Shift Inc (3697 JP): Full-year FY08/24 flash update

In FY08/24, the company reported sales of JPY110.6bn (+25.7% YoY) and operating profit of JPY10.5bn (-8.9% YoY). Software Testing Related Services...

Shared Research

Have the Rules for Bottom Fishing Changed?

Increased passive investing and a rising interest rate environment have made the bottom-fishing game more treacherous, but the rules are still the...

Michael Allen

[Quiddity Index] Oct25 Leaderboard for Nikkei 225 Mar26 Review; One In One Out Likely

The Sep 2025 Nikkei 225 Rebal was not a "right-way" event for the ADD (Shift (3697)). The March 2026 rebal looks also to be a 1 IN 1 OUT affair,...

Travis Lundy

Last Week In Event SPACE: Sony Corp/Sony Financial, Naspers/Prosus, Shandong Hi-Speed, Shift Inc

It’s Sunday! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed during the...

David Blennerhassett

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