Chief Executive Officer, Emmer Capital Partners Limited

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Chief Executive Officer

Emmer Capital Partners Limited

Emmer Capital Partners is an Asia Pacific focused financial advisory firm engaging in strategic financial asset allocation advice, bespoke thematic research and advising early-stage companies and connecting them to investors. Emmer Capital provides macro-economic and multi-asset investment strategy inputs to institutions, family offices, private wealth managers, private equity, and corporate boards directly and through independent research platforms. Emmer Capital also advises a wide range of startup companies on fund raising and business strategy. Emmer Capital's active engagement with the print and electronic media reaches a broad spectrum of investors across the globe.

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Asia-Ex-Japan equities have moved from a valuation rerating driven rally to an earnings driven rally. Since late October, Asia-ex-Japan equities have appreciated 8% but its forward PE has declined 6%.</li>
<li>Korea's 2026 EPS estimate up 67.8% in last 6 months, followed by Taiwan (17.5%) and Malaysia (7.5%). Philippines (-4.4%), India (-3.9%) and Indonesia (-1.3%) constitute the bottom of the pile.</li>
<li>Technology and basic materials are driving the earnings upgrades while consumer-oriented sectors are dragging them down. We think consumption sentiment recovery shall be essential for earnings upgrades to sustain.</li>
</ul>


Asia-Ex-Japan equities have moved from a valuation rerating driven rally to an earnings driven rally. Since late October, Asia-ex-Japan equities have appreciated 8% but its forward PE has declined 6%.
Korea's 2026 EPS estimate up 67.8% in last 6 months, followed by Taiwan (17.5%) and Malaysia (7.5%). Philippines (-4.4%), India (-3.9%) and Indonesia (-1.3%) constitute the bottom of the pile.
Technology and basic materials are driving the earnings upgrades while consumer-oriented sectors are dragging them down. We think consumption sentiment recovery shall be essential for earnings upgrades to sustain.


Asian Equities: The Earnings Boom - Korea Taiwan, Malaysia, Tech and Basic Materials Rule the Roost

Director, Head of Research, Smartkarma

Pranav Rao

Director, Head of Research

Smartkarma

Smartkarma unites the fragmented investment industry, connecting institutional investors, independent research providers, and corporates within a single network.

Research Reinvented

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>Welcome to Curator’s Cut - a fortnightly roundup of standout themes from the 1,600+ insights shared on Smartkarma.</li>
<li>In this cut, we go looking for value in Korea beyond memory, weigh SHEIN's long-awaited IPO, and trace how TOPIX's reshuffle could lift small-cap Japanese banks.</li>
<li>Want to dig deeper? Comment or message with the themes you'd like to see highlighted next.</li>
</ul>


Welcome to Curator’s Cut - a fortnightly roundup of standout themes from the 1,600+ insights shared on Smartkarma.
In this cut, we go looking for value in Korea beyond memory, weigh SHEIN's long-awaited IPO, and trace how TOPIX's reshuffle could lift small-cap Japanese banks.
Want to dig deeper? Comment or message with the themes you'd like to see highlighted next.


Curator's Cut: Korea Beyond Memory, SHEIN's Hong Kong Bow & TOPIX's Tailwind for Banks

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

Event-Driven

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 / Event-Driven

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 (KOSPI2 INDEX EQUITY)

<ul>
<li>Since short selling was banned in November 2023, short interest has plunged in Korea as shorts were covered. Markets have not done much over the last 16 months though. </li>
<li>Foreign investor holdings have dropped from 32.05% in July to 28.57%. The top 25 stocks bought by foreign investors outperformed the top 25 stocks sold by 128% in 16 months.</li>
<li>There will be trade opportunities across indices, pref/ords, index migrations and deletions, potential market upgrades and overvalued stocks being sold.</li>
</ul>


Since short selling was banned in November 2023, short interest has plunged in Korea as shorts were covered. Markets have not done much over the last 16 months though. 
Foreign investor holdings have dropped from 32.05% in July to 28.57%. The top 25 stocks bought by foreign investors outperformed the top 25 stocks sold by 128% in 16 months.
There will be trade opportunities across indices, pref/ords, index migrations and deletions, potential market upgrades and overvalued stocks being sold.


Korea: Short Selling Is Back in March; Trade Ideas

Global Equities, Multi-Asset PM, Dantes Outlook

Damanick Dantes, CMT

Global Equities, Multi-Asset PM

Dantes Outlook

We invest over a full market cycle, using multi-asset portfolios tailored to each global client, from individuals to family offices.

Built to Endure

<ul>
<li>CTAs are positioned in Asia uptrends, but the stocks that support it are losing momentum.</li>
<li>We uncovered stocks that sit outside the CTA trade that may be less vulnerable to outflows.</li>
<li>Tech uptrends remain intact, just lower their weight and make room for less volatile trends in financials.</li>
</ul>


CTAs are positioned in Asia uptrends, but the stocks that support it are losing momentum.
We uncovered stocks that sit outside the CTA trade that may be less vulnerable to outflows.
Tech uptrends remain intact, just lower their weight and make room for less volatile trends in financials.


CTA Trend Picks in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Asian buybacks, dominated by HK, China and Korea, are skyrocketing.  In H125, buybacks more than doubled from their full year 2024 levels in HK/China and increased 40% in Korea. </li>
<li>We screen companies repurchasing consistently, with total buyback of minimum $1bn and buyback over 2024-25 of at least 2% of present market cap, yielding companies in HK(11), Korea(6), Philippines(2), Singapore(1).</li>
<li>Top five repurchasers are Alibaba, Tencent, China Communication Construction, AIA, Netease. These, barring the third, are up more than 20% this year. Share price support from buybacks do seem solid.</li>
</ul>


Asian buybacks, dominated by HK, China and Korea, are skyrocketing.  In H125, buybacks more than doubled from their full year 2024 levels in HK/China and increased 40% in Korea. 
We screen companies repurchasing consistently, with total buyback of minimum $1bn and buyback over 2024-25 of at least 2% of present market cap, yielding companies in HK(11), Korea(6), Philippines(2), Singapore(1).
Top five repurchasers are Alibaba, Tencent, China Communication Construction, AIA, Netease. These, barring the third, are up more than 20% this year. Share price support from buybacks do seem solid.


Asian Buybacks Accelerating; Consistent Share Repurchasers Offer Safety

South Korea

Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd., a holding company, provides a full range of consumer and commercial banking-related financial services.  The company's main businesses include banking, securities brokerage, trust banking, and assets management to individuals, businesses, and other financial institutions.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

Shinhan Financial Group Adr (SHG US)

Asian Equities: The Earnings Boom - Korea Taiwan, Malaysia, Tech and Basic Materials Rule the Roost

Asia-Ex-JP equities shift from valuation to earnings driven rally. KR & TW lead EPS est growth. Consumer sectors lag. Consumption sentiment...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Curator's Cut: Korea Beyond Memory, SHEIN's Hong Kong Bow & TOPIX's Tailwind for Banks

Discover names outside memory in Korea, review SHEIN's IPO, and understand TOPIX's impact on small-cap Japanese banks in this fortnightly...

Pranav Rao

Korea: Short Selling Is Back in March; Trade Ideas

Short selling in Korea commences from Monday. There will be a lot of interest in shorting stocks/sectors depending on how they have performed since...

Brian Freitas

CTA Trend Picks in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan

Trend followers are long Asian equities, but the mega-cap leaders are decelerating. If CTAs unwind, what survives? Hold strength at lower weights...

Damanick Dantes, CMT

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Asian Equities: The Earnings Boom - Korea Taiwan, Malaysia, Tech and Basic Materials Rule the Roost

​Asia-Ex-JP equities shift from valuation to earnings driven rally. KR & TW lead EPS est growth. Consumer sectors lag. Consumption sentiment...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Curator's Cut: Korea Beyond Memory, SHEIN's Hong Kong Bow & TOPIX's Tailwind for Banks

​Discover names outside memory in Korea, review SHEIN's IPO, and understand TOPIX's impact on small-cap Japanese banks in this fortnightly...

Pranav Rao

Korea: Short Selling Is Back in March; Trade Ideas

Short selling in Korea commences from Monday. There will be a lot of interest in shorting stocks/sectors depending on how they have performed since...

Brian Freitas

CTA Trend Picks in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan

Trend followers are long Asian equities, but the mega-cap leaders are decelerating. If CTAs unwind, what survives? Hold strength at lower weights...

Damanick Dantes, CMT

Asian Buybacks Accelerating; Consistent Share Repurchasers Offer Safety

​Asian buybacks, led by HK, CN, KR, are surging. Buybacks more than doubled in H125 relative to full year 24 levels. Top consistent repurchasers:...

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Asia-Ex-JP equities shift from valuation to earnings driven rally. KR & TW lead EPS est growth. Consumer sectors lag. Consumption sentiment...

Discover names outside memory in Korea, review SHEIN's IPO, and understand TOPIX's impact on small-cap Japanese banks in this fortnightly...

Asian buybacks, led by HK, CN, KR, are surging. Buybacks more than doubled in H125 relative to full year 24 levels. Top consistent repurchasers:...