Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>SKC Co Ltd (011790 KS) announced on 29 April that it plans to change into an intermediate holding company.</li>
<li>We believe that the formation of an intermediate holding company structure could have a negative impact on SKC's share price. </li>
<li>This is because some investors may be concerned that SKC may try to complete IPOs of some of its valuable subsidiaries including SKCFT Holdings without adequate protection for SKC shareholders.</li>
</ul>


SKC Co Ltd (011790 KS) announced on 29 April that it plans to change into an intermediate holding company.
We believe that the formation of an intermediate holding company structure could have a negative impact on SKC's share price. 
This is because some investors may be concerned that SKC may try to complete IPOs of some of its valuable subsidiaries including SKCFT Holdings without adequate protection for SKC shareholders.


SKC Co: Formation of an Intermediate Holding Company

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>SKC announced aggressive plans to expand its rechargeable battery, semiconductor, and ecofriendly materials and it plans to invest about 5 trillion to 6 trillion won in these businesses by 2027. </li>
<li>We believe that the company will use a combination of asset sales, sale of its treasury shares, and additional debt and equity raising in the next 3-5 years. </li>
<li>While the market welcomes sale of non-core businesses such as SK Pucore and sale of treasury shares, it is likely to have greater concerns about additional debt and equity raising. </li>
</ul>


SKC announced aggressive plans to expand its rechargeable battery, semiconductor, and ecofriendly materials and it plans to invest about 5 trillion to 6 trillion won in these businesses by 2027. 
We believe that the company will use a combination of asset sales, sale of its treasury shares, and additional debt and equity raising in the next 3-5 years. 
While the market welcomes sale of non-core businesses such as SK Pucore and sale of treasury shares, it is likely to have greater concerns about additional debt and equity raising. 


SKC: Aggressive Plans to Expand Rechargeable Battery & Semiconductor Materials - But At What Price?

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

<ul>
<li>Following the short sell ban announced on the weekend, the <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> opened higher on Monday and rallied through the day.</li>
<li>A lot of the intraday gains on Monday have been given up over the next two trading days. Surprisingly, KRX data indicates that not a lot of shorts have covered.</li>
<li>Foreigners have been net cash buyers since Monday (could indicate covering of offshore borrow) while retail were big sellers on Monday.</li>
</ul>


Following the short sell ban announced on the weekend, the KOSPI 200 and KOSDAQ 150 opened higher on Monday and rallied through the day.
A lot of the intraday gains on Monday have been given up over the next two trading days. Surprisingly, KRX data indicates that not a lot of shorts have covered.
Foreigners have been net cash buyers since Monday (could indicate covering of offshore borrow) while retail were big sellers on Monday.


Korea Short Sell Ban: Not a Lot Covered on Monday; Shorts Holding On?

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 / Event-Driven

<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

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech, Aequitas Research

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

Asia Pac IPO & Placement Research, China biotech

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.

Quantitative Analysis

<ul>
<li>We analyzed the changes in short interest of KRX Stocks as of Apr 5th which has an aggregated short interest worth USD6.9bn.</li>
<li>We tabulate league table for top short by value and short as multiple of ADT, as well as weekly increases &amp; decreases in short value, short as multiple of ADT.</li>
<li>We estimate the week on week changes of short interest to be -6.9% and highlight short interest changes in Eo Technics.</li>
</ul>


We analyzed the changes in short interest of KRX Stocks as of Apr 5th which has an aggregated short interest worth USD6.9bn.
We tabulate league table for top short by value and short as multiple of ADT, as well as weekly increases &amp; decreases in short value, short as multiple of ADT.
We estimate the week on week changes of short interest to be -6.9% and highlight short interest changes in Eo Technics.


KRX Short Interest Weekly (Apr 5th): Eo Technics

South Korea

SKC Co., Ltd. manufactures a variety of films, including polyester films, silicon coated films, and inkjet films.  The Company also produces chemical products, such as propylene oxide, propylene glycol, and styrene monomer. In addition, SKC provides materials for photovoltaic.

SKC Co Ltd (011790 KS)

SKC Co: Formation of an Intermediate Holding Company

This insight provides additional details of SKC which has announced highly aggressive investment plans to expand its rechargeable batteries and...

Douglas Kim

SKC: Aggressive Plans to Expand Rechargeable Battery & Semiconductor Materials - But At What Price?

While the market welcomes SKC's sale of non-core businesses such as SK Pucore and sale of treasury shares, it is likely to have greater concerns...

Douglas Kim

Korea Short Sell Ban: Not a Lot Covered on Monday; Shorts Holding On?

Not a lot of shorts were covered on Monday. There could be more covering in the near term as the market drifts lower. KOSPI200 underperformed...

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

KRX Short Interest Weekly (Apr 5th): Eo Technics

We analyzed KRX short interest report for the past week. We estimate the short interests to be USD 6.9bn and highlighted short interest changes in...

Ke Yan, CFA, FRM