Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Last November, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trend-micro-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13172:1" rel="noopener">Trend Micro Inc (4704 JP)</a> announced a second change to Shareholder Return Policy in 9 months. Activist ValueAct had been pushing. This was their big win.</li>
<li>I discussed, bullishly, in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/trend-micro-big-bonanza-but-shareholder-and-balance-sheet-structure-matter-n225-divs-get-a-fillip" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:117167" rel="noopener">Trend Micro BIG Bonanza But Shareholder AND Balance Sheet Structure Matter. N225 Divs Get a Fillip</a>. </li>
<li>Yesterday, with 2024 earnings, we got the promised special dividend and 2024 buyback, and in-line forecasts. No surprises. But the stock is down hard as yesterday's hopium met today's reason.</li>
</ul>


Last November, Trend Micro Inc (4704 JP) announced a second change to Shareholder Return Policy in 9 months. Activist ValueAct had been pushing. This was their big win.
I discussed, bullishly, in Trend Micro BIG Bonanza But Shareholder AND Balance Sheet Structure Matter. N225 Divs Get a Fillip. 
Yesterday, with 2024 earnings, we got the promised special dividend and 2024 buyback, and in-line forecasts. No surprises. But the stock is down hard as yesterday's hopium met today's reason.


Trend Micro (4704) - In-Line Announcement Causes Selloff - Hopium Meets Reason

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trend-micro-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13172:1" rel="noopener">Trend Micro Inc (4704 JP)</a> has been under pressure to improve capital allocation after Value Act bought in 2022. In February 2023, Trend announced a weak sauce capital return policy.</li>
<li>They promised a 100% payout ratio with 70% div payout ratio. But with huge piles of cash and securities, it wasn't going to be enough, and shareholder structure ALWAYS matters.</li>
<li>Here it meant Trend Micro was vulnerable to further attack. Today, Trend announced a HUGE capital return with buyback, and a special div and this will excite Nikkei 225 arbs.</li>
</ul>



Trend Micro Inc (4704 JP) has been under pressure to improve capital allocation after Value Act bought in 2022. In February 2023, Trend announced a weak sauce capital return policy.
They promised a 100% payout ratio with 70% div payout ratio. But with huge piles of cash and securities, it wasn't going to be enough, and shareholder structure ALWAYS matters.
Here it meant Trend Micro was vulnerable to further attack. Today, Trend announced a HUGE capital return with buyback, and a special div and this will excite Nikkei 225 arbs.


Trend Micro BIG Bonanza But Shareholder AND Balance Sheet Structure Matter. N225 Divs Get a Fillip

<ul>
<li>In mid-January, the TSE announced a "name-and-shame" list where they listed all the companies which had put forth a disclosure about 【資本コストや株価を意識した経営の実現に向けた対応】.  But they did not actually shame.</li>
<li>The list shows which companies have disclosed a policy/consideration. But no data/links. We have the links. On Feb 1, the TSE put out a <a href="https://www.jpx.co.jp/english/news/1020/u5j7e50000001bqd-att/240201en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presentation</a> and set of <a href="https://www.jpx.co.jp/english/news/1020/u5j7e50000001bqd-att/240201en2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">case studies</a>.
</li>
<li>Designed to present the "Investor's Point of View", they have unexpectedly worthwhile advice/commentary for corporates. The TSE appears to be trying hard to prompt serious consideration rather than box-ticking.</li>
</ul>


In mid-January, the TSE announced a "name-and-shame" list where they listed all the companies which had put forth a disclosure about 【資本コストや株価を意識した経営の実現に向けた対応】.  But they did not actually shame.
The list shows which companies have disclosed a policy/consideration. But no data/links. We have the links. On Feb 1, the TSE put out a presentation and set of case studies.

Designed to present the "Investor's Point of View", they have unexpectedly worthwhile advice/commentary for corporates. The TSE appears to be trying hard to prompt serious consideration rather than box-ticking.


Updated Tool for TSE "Mgmt Conscious of Capital Cost/Stock Price" And New Presentation/CaseStudies

David Blennerhassett

<ul>
<li>The Korean Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service held a press briefing, unveiling the comprehensive prohibition of short selling from the 6th November, until June 30th next year.</li>
<li>Recco or Ascendant for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hollysys-automation-technologies" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26078:1" rel="noopener">Hollysys (HOLI US)</a>? Ascendant could easily get &gt;50% of shares out, and spill the board. Recco, with no shares held, looks to have a weaker hand. </li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sankyo-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12385:1" rel="noopener">Sankyo (6417 JP)</a> is cheap. It will never trade at 20x expected PER because of the nature of the business; right now, on an ex-cash basis, it trades 1.6x ex-cash PER.</li>
</ul>


The Korean Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service held a press briefing, unveiling the comprehensive prohibition of short selling from the 6th November, until June 30th next year.
Recco or Ascendant for Hollysys (HOLI US)? Ascendant could easily get &gt;50% of shares out, and spill the board. Recco, with no shares held, looks to have a weaker hand. 

Sankyo (6417 JP) is cheap. It will never trade at 20x expected PER because of the nature of the business; right now, on an ex-cash basis, it trades 1.6x ex-cash PER.


Last Week in Event SPACE: Korea's Short Selling, Hollysys, Sankyo, Descente

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>The review period for the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikkei-225" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22909:1" rel="noopener">Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX)</a> March rebalance ends end January. There could be three changes at the rebalance with sector balance in focus.</li>
<li>Depending on the changes, passive trackers will need to buy between 6-28x ADV (11-50% of real float) on the inclusions and sell between 2.8-44x ADV on the deletions.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fast-retailing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:751:1" rel="noopener">Fast Retailing (9983 JP)</a> could be capped at 11% of the index weight and there will be buying in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nitori-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20386:1" rel="noopener">Nitori Holdings (9843 JP)</a> due to the stepwise addition.</li>
</ul>


The review period for the Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX) March rebalance ends end January. There could be three changes at the rebalance with sector balance in focus.
Depending on the changes, passive trackers will need to buy between 6-28x ADV (11-50% of real float) on the inclusions and sell between 2.8-44x ADV on the deletions.

Fast Retailing (9983 JP) could be capped at 11% of the index weight and there will be buying in Nitori Holdings (9843 JP) due to the stepwise addition.


Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Preview (Mar 2024): Ranking, Capping, Funding & Other Changes

Japan

Trend Micro Incorporated develops and markets anti-virus computer software and internet security software.  The Company also sells its products in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Trend Micro Inc (4704 JP)

Trend Micro (4704) - In-Line Announcement Causes Selloff - Hopium Meets Reason

Trend Micro (4704)'s new Shareholder Return Policy in November = stock rally. Now in-line announcements get the stock sold off. It's not clear this...

Travis Lundy

Trend Micro BIG Bonanza But Shareholder AND Balance Sheet Structure Matter. N225 Divs Get a Fillip

Trend Micro announced a "big" but softish shareholder return plan in February. It fell a bit flat. Now they have a bigger better one. Looks...

Travis Lundy

Updated Tool for TSE "Mgmt Conscious of Capital Cost/Stock Price" And New Presentation/CaseStudies

The TSE update for this will come out in a day or two. There will be some commentary on the update. It is not meaningful yet, mostly because...

Travis Lundy

Last Week in Event SPACE: Korea's Short Selling, Hollysys, Sankyo, Descente

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed...

David Blennerhassett

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Preview (Mar 2024): Ranking, Capping, Funding & Other Changes

There could be 3 changes in March + Fast Retailing capping. Stepwise inclusion of Nitori too. Socionext could be an add if it splits its stock. As...

Brian Freitas