Founder/CEO of ROK Advisory, ROK Advisory LLC

Ken S. Kim

Founder/CEO of ROK Advisory

ROK Advisory LLC

ROK is an independent research advisory firm. We guide you to minimize the information gap between foreign and local investors in Northeast Asia with a focus in Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

Independent Research Advisory Firm

Equity Bottom-Up

In Korea the safest way to invest is to align your interest as a minority shareholder with those of the family?  Usually the key asset of the chaebol is apparent but what about SK Group? It seems we have an opportunity to hone in what the key asset is.

In Korea the safest way to invest is to align your interest as a minority shareholder with those of the family?  Usually the key asset of the chaebol is apparent but what about SK Group? It seems we have an opportunity to hone in what the key asset is.

The Chaebol Dilemma - What's the Family Jewel(S)?

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Event-Driven

After the market close on 14 April, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sk-telecom-co-ltd-bbccd86c-474d-4a4d-946d-10e911a225a2" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:395:1" rel="noopener">SK Telecom (017670 KS)</a> finally announced its long awaited decision to create a new holding company for its non-telecom related subsidiaries. The market has been waiting for this decision in the past 5+ years. In the past several weeks, the CEO of SK Telecom has mentioned a very high likelihood of the company announcing a new holdco structure.

After the market close on 14 April, SK Telecom (017670 KS) finally announced its long awaited decision to create a new holding company for its non-telecom related subsidiaries. The market has been waiting for this decision in the past 5+ years. In the past several weeks, the CEO of SK Telecom has mentioned a very high likelihood of the company announcing a new holdco structure. 

SK Telecom Officially Announces a Spin-Off to Create a Holding Company Structure

AlphaSituations-Event/Catalyst Driven Research, AlphaSituations

Robert Sassoon

AlphaSituations-Event/Catalyst Driven Research

AlphaSituations

Since its establishment, AlphaSituations has delivered a track record of outperformance with a hit rate of winners of more than 70% of its portfolio of ideas generating annualized average returns of 20%. In January 2022, AlphaSituations was contracted by Water Tower Research, an investor engagement and stakeholder communication platform to provide coverage of Special Situations

MagnaChip Semiconductor Corp / Event-Driven

On March 26, 2021, it was announced that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/magnachip-semiconductor-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28052:1" rel="noopener">MagnaChip Semiconductor Corp (MX US)</a> had entered into an agreement to be acquired by Wise Road Capital in all cash go-private transaction of $29 per share placing  an equity value of ~$1.4BN on MX. MX is the second largest company in the world after Samsung Electronics in the OLED panel driving chip field, and is listed on the NYSE, while Wise Road Capital is a Chinese owned private equity fund that is focused on investing into high tech companies globally. The transaction is targeted to be completed in the second half of the year.With the prevailing share price of $25.29 as at the close of business on April 12, 2021, the spread at ~15% offers a potentially attractive IRR of between 20% and 32% should the transaction close by the end of December or September. This insight lays out  why think the spread indicates a rewarding risk-arb opportunity.

On March 26, 2021, it was announced that MagnaChip Semiconductor Corp (MX US) had entered into an agreement to be acquired by Wise Road Capital in all cash go-private transaction of $29 per share placing  an equity value of ~$1.4BN on MX. MX is the second largest company in the world after Samsung Electronics in the OLED panel driving chip field, and is listed on the NYSE, while Wise Road Capital is a Chinese owned private equity fund that is focused on investing into high tech companies globally. The transaction is targeted to be completed in the second half of the year.With the prevailing share price of $25.29 as at the close of business on April 12, 2021, the spread at ~15% offers a potentially attractive IRR of between 20% and 32% should the transaction close by the end of December or September. This insight lays out  why think the spread indicates a rewarding risk-arb opportunity.

MergerTalk: Magnachip Semiconductor Corp (MX US)-Wising Up To An Attractive Risk-Arb Opportunity

Cross Asset Strategy

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On 9 April, the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/southkorea-nps/update-1-s-koreas-pension-fund-adjusts-rules-to-raise-domestic-equity-allocation-idUSL1N2M20EN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPS</a> announced that it will change rules to increase the allocation of Korean stocks, which would be the first time in a decade. This adjustment could be implemented starting next week. This change comes after a lot of pressure by the retail investors.
NPS increased the strategic asset allocation (SAA) limit for domestic equities from the current 2% to 3%, increasing the percentage of Korean stocks it can hold from the current band of 14.8% -18.8% (+/- 2% with 16.8% as base) to 13.8% -19.8% (+/- 3% with 16.8% as base). NPS's target of the domestic equity allocation is 16.8% (of total fund amount). As a result of this change, the sale of domestic stocks by the NPS is expected to slow down.
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On 9 April, the NPS announced that it will change rules to increase the allocation of Korean stocks, which would be the first time in a decade. This adjustment could be implemented starting next week. This change comes after a lot of pressure by the retail investors.
NPS increased the strategic asset allocation (SAA) limit for domestic equities from the current 2% to 3%, increasing the percentage of Korean stocks it can hold from the current band of 14.8% -18.8% (+/- 2% with 16.8% as base) to 13.8% -19.8% (+/- 3% with 16.8% as base). NPS's target of the domestic equity allocation is 16.8% (of total fund amount). As a result of this change, the sale of domestic stocks by the NPS is expected to slow down.


Semiconductors, Memory and SSDs Specialist, Objective Analysis

Jim Handy

Semiconductors, Memory and SSDs Specialist

Objective Analysis

Objective Analysis offers third-party independent market research and data for the semiconductor industry and investors in the semiconductor industry.

Semiconductors, Memory and SSDs

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

For the third month in a row semiconductor revenues have been 14% or more above trend, to set historic records.  This Smartkarma Insight explores this phenomenon and the price dynamic that is driving it.

For the third month in a row semiconductor revenues have been 14% or more above trend, to set historic records.  This Smartkarma Insight explores this phenomenon and the price dynamic that is driving it.

February Semiconductor Revenues Remain Impressively Above Trend

South Korea

SK Hynix Inc. provides products and services for the electronic components industry. The Company manufactures semiconductors, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), NAND flash memory, and static random access memory (SRAM) chips.

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SK Hynix (000660 KS)

The Chaebol Dilemma - What's the Family Jewel(S)?

What is the key asset of the SK Group and how should we play this over the course of time ? Here's at least what we should consider

Ken S. Kim

SK Telecom Officially Announces a Spin-Off to Create a Holding Company Structure

After the market close on 14 April, SK Telecom (017670 KS) finally announced its long awaited decision to create a new holding company for its non...

Douglas Kim

MergerTalk: Magnachip Semiconductor Corp (MX US)-Wising Up To An Attractive Risk-Arb Opportunity

Regulatory concerns on this deal may be prove to be wide of the mark, but in any event that may not matter suggesting that this spread will turn...

Robert Sassoon

NPS Raises Domestic Equity Allocations

NPS increased the strategic asset allocation (SAA) limit for domestic equities from the current 2% to 3%. As a result of this change, the sale of...

Douglas Kim

February Semiconductor Revenues Remain Impressively Above Trend

What is driving the current boom in semiconductors? An ongoing shortage, which is driving striking price increases, leading to record revenues. ...

Jim Handy

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