Research from Asian Century Stocks, Asian Century Stocks

Michael Fritzell

Research from Asian Century Stocks

Providing financial journalism in the Asia-Pacific

Asian Century Stocks

Asian Century Stocks is a newsletter providing financial journalism for companies and stocks in the Asia-Pacific. 
The Asian Century Stocks logotype “百” stands for “one hundred” or a “century”. The economic centre of gravity is moving towards Asia. Yet most global investors are missing out.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>Visional (4194 JP — US$1.9 billion) is a Japanese HR-tech company run by Soichiro Minami, also known as "Swimmy".</li><li>Minami grew up in Japan but moved to Canada at age six. He grew up in a non-Japanese environment and always felt like an outsider.</li><li>To ease his nerves, a teacher in Canada gave him a book about a fish called Swimmy, who overcame the challenges of being a minority. </li></ul>

Visional (4194 JP — US$1.9 billion) is a Japanese HR-tech company run by Soichiro Minami, also known as "Swimmy".Minami grew up in Japan but moved to Canada at age six. He grew up in a non-Japanese environment and always felt like an outsider.To ease his nerves, a teacher in Canada gave him a book about a fish called Swimmy, who overcame the challenges of being a minority. 

Visional (4194 JP) : Niche Japanese Online Recruitment Service at 12.5x 2027e P/E

Index Rebal/Special Situations, Quiddity Advisors

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Index Rebal/Special Situations

Quiddity Advisors

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Quiddity's "Who is Ready" series of insights aims to objectively identify names listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange that are potential additions to the TOPIX Index in future.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/furuya-metal-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5196:1" rel="noopener">Furuya Metal (7826 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/visional-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32977:1" rel="noopener">Visional (4194 JP)</a> are expected to be included in the TOPIX index at the end of January 2024</li>
<li>There are couple of other pre-event names that we have been tracking for the past few months.</li>
</ul>


Quiddity's "Who is Ready" series of insights aims to objectively identify names listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange that are potential additions to the TOPIX Index in future.

Furuya Metal (7826 JP) and Visional (4194 JP) are expected to be included in the TOPIX index at the end of January 2024
There are couple of other pre-event names that we have been tracking for the past few months.


TOPIX Inclusions: Who Is Ready (Jan 2024)

APAC IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Clarence Chu

APAC IPOs & Placements

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.

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/socionext-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36351:1" rel="noopener">Socionext (6526 JP)</a> was listed on 12th Oct 2022, when it raised US$457m in its upsized Japan IPO. Its six-month lockup will expire on 9th Apr 2023.</li>
<li>Socionext is a fabless semiconductor provider which commenced operations after integrating the system on a chip (SoC) businesses of Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited and Panasonic Holding Corporation in 2015.</li>
<li>Coming up for six-month lockup expiry are the Development Bank of Japan, Fujitsu and Panasonic, the trio had each trimmed their respective stakes in the IPO.</li>
</ul>



Socionext (6526 JP) was listed on 12th Oct 2022, when it raised US$457m in its upsized Japan IPO. Its six-month lockup will expire on 9th Apr 2023.
Socionext is a fabless semiconductor provider which commenced operations after integrating the system on a chip (SoC) businesses of Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited and Panasonic Holding Corporation in 2015.
Coming up for six-month lockup expiry are the Development Bank of Japan, Fujitsu and Panasonic, the trio had each trimmed their respective stakes in the IPO.


Socionext Lock-Up - Up 2.67x Since IPO. US$930m Worth of Shares to Be Unlocked

Japan Specialist

Mark Chadwick

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Japanese equities traded broadly flat this week, with performance shaped by sector rotation rather than index direction.</li>
<li>Investors rotated decisively into “hardware” and national security–linked sectors, reflecting policy signals from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi</li>
<li>GS Yuasa was the top performer this week, after the company announced plans to build a new lithium-ion battery plant for energy storage systems</li>
</ul>


Japanese equities traded broadly flat this week, with performance shaped by sector rotation rather than index direction.
Investors rotated decisively into “hardware” and national security–linked sectors, reflecting policy signals from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi
GS Yuasa was the top performer this week, after the company announced plans to build a new lithium-ion battery plant for energy storage systems


Japan Strategy Weekly | From Austerity to Strategic Investment

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

<ul>
<li>On 13 May, Bain/<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ly-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19603:1" rel="noopener">LY (4689 JP)</a> sent <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakaku-com-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7408:1" rel="noopener">Kakaku.com Inc (2371 JP)</a> a revised non-binding offer at JPY3,232, a 7.7% premium to EQT’s JPY3,000 offer but 4.9% below the last close.</li>
<li>While remaining non-binding, the Board will be forced to engage under its fiduciary-out clause and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/digital-garage-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13747:1" rel="noopener">Digital Garage (4819 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kddi-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:639:1" rel="noopener">KDDI Corp (9433 JP)</a>’s competing-offer clauses.</li>
<li>Bain/LY’s second offer, belatedly and publicly, sets in motion an auction process. My analysis suggests that a competing bidding war could result in an offer of at least JPY3,500.</li>
</ul>


On 13 May, Bain/LY (4689 JP) sent Kakaku.com Inc (2371 JP) a revised non-binding offer at JPY3,232, a 7.7% premium to EQT’s JPY3,000 offer but 4.9% below the last close.
While remaining non-binding, the Board will be forced to engage under its fiduciary-out clause and Digital Garage (4819 JP) and KDDI Corp (9433 JP)’s competing-offer clauses.
Bain/LY’s second offer, belatedly and publicly, sets in motion an auction process. My analysis suggests that a competing bidding war could result in an offer of at least JPY3,500.


Kakaku.com (2371 JP): How High Can It Go as Bain/LY Ups the Ante?

Japan

Visional, Inc. develops application products. The Company develops a system that promotes industrial digital transformation and other services. Visional provides its services throughout Japan.

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Visional (4194 JP)

Visional (4194 JP) : Niche Japanese Online Recruitment Service at 12.5x 2027e P/E

Visional (4194 JP — US$1.9 billion) is a Japanese HR-tech company run by Soichiro Minami, also known as "Swimmy". Minami grew up in Japan...

Asian Century Stocks

TOPIX Inclusions: Who Is Ready (Jan 2024)

There are currently 70 names that satisfy all 6 key Segment Transfer requirements based on current data. Another 78 names can satisfy 5 out of 6...

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Socionext Lock-Up - Up 2.67x Since IPO. US$930m Worth of Shares to Be Unlocked

Socionext just launched a US$2bn secondary extended offering, with the Development Bank of Japan, Fujitsu, and Panasonic looking to selldown their...

Clarence Chu

Japan Strategy Weekly | From Austerity to Strategic Investment

Japanese equities traded flat this week, driven by sector rotation rather than index direction. Investors favored "hardware" and national security...

Mark Chadwick

Kakaku.com (2371 JP): How High Can It Go as Bain/LY Ups the Ante?

Bain/LY’s second offer, belatedly and publicly, sets in motion an auction process. My analysis suggests that a competing bidding war could result...

Arun George

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Visional (4194 JP) : Niche Japanese Online Recruitment Service at 12.5x 2027e P/E

Visional (4194 JP — US$1.9 billion) is a Japanese HR-tech company run by Soichiro Minami, also known as "Swimmy". Minami grew up in Japan...

Asian Century Stocks

TOPIX Inclusions: Who Is Ready (Jan 2024)

There are currently 70 names that satisfy all 6 key Segment Transfer requirements based on current data. Another 78 names can satisfy 5 out of 6...

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Socionext Lock-Up - Up 2.67x Since IPO. US$930m Worth of Shares to Be Unlocked

Socionext just launched a US$2bn secondary extended offering, with the Development Bank of Japan, Fujitsu, and Panasonic looking to selldown their...

Clarence Chu

Japan Strategy Weekly | From Austerity to Strategic Investment

​Japanese equities traded flat this week, driven by sector rotation rather than index direction. Investors favored "hardware" and national security...

Mark Chadwick

Kakaku.com (2371 JP): How High Can It Go as Bain/LY Ups the Ante?

Bain/LY’s second offer, belatedly and publicly, sets in motion an auction process. My analysis suggests that a competing bidding war could result...

Arun George

Japanese equities traded flat this week, driven by sector rotation rather than index direction. Investors favored "hardware" and national security...