President, Vision Research

Robert C Prather Jr

President

Vision Research

Vision Research was formed in 2004 with the vision of generating the best possible fundamental analysis and investment research for smid cap US equities. In 2008, we broadened our coverage to include mid/large cap US stocks.  After researching a  few ideas outside the US each year for a number of years, we launched a dedicated non-US equity product at the end of 2015.  This was followed by the introduction of a product focused on IPOs in mid-2017.

Fundamental Insight

Equity Bottom-Up

Shenzhou Intl Group Holdings / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Key customers &amp; their retail partners battling excess inventory, waning consumer demand, and market share losses in certain geographies</li>
<li>Plans for capacity expansion amid demand uncertainties and alt data and macro picture may prove aggressive and along with risks of reshoring/nearshoring &amp; friend-shoring may prove margin dilutive</li>
<li>Consensus expectations for 2H23 and 2024 appear overly optimistic and valuation is not cheap given the growth profile</li>
</ul>


Key customers &amp; their retail partners battling excess inventory, waning consumer demand, and market share losses in certain geographies
Plans for capacity expansion amid demand uncertainties and alt data and macro picture may prove aggressive and along with risks of reshoring/nearshoring &amp; friend-shoring may prove margin dilutive
Consensus expectations for 2H23 and 2024 appear overly optimistic and valuation is not cheap given the growth profile


Shenzhou (2313 HK): Contract Mfr for Leading Sportswear Brands Facing Challenging Demand Outlook.

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Four years after Itochu got to 40.0% of votes in Descente (8114) in a hostile Tender Offer, Descente partner ANTA, which supported Itochu at the time started selling its stake.</li>
<li>A few months later, Itochu started buying shares of Descente in the market. As of 7 Sep, Itochu had bought Descente shares 81 days straight (9.7% of ADV).</li>
<li>This begs the question: Is Itochu ensuring they maintain voting control as ANTA sells? Or are they buying to lift their stake prior to another bid?</li>
</ul>


Four years after Itochu got to 40.0% of votes in Descente (8114) in a hostile Tender Offer, Descente partner ANTA, which supported Itochu at the time started selling its stake.
A few months later, Itochu started buying shares of Descente in the market. As of 7 Sep, Itochu had bought Descente shares 81 days straight (9.7% of ADV).
This begs the question: Is Itochu ensuring they maintain voting control as ANTA sells? Or are they buying to lift their stake prior to another bid?


Itochu Buying Descente (8114) - ANTA Selldown Offset Or Creeping Takeover?

<ul>
<li>This past week, nearly 150 companies in Japan announced buyback programmes totalling ¥2.1trln. 3 Tenders, 26 ToSTNeT-3 buybacks (including at least 5 delayed starts). </li>
<li>The median on-market buyback was 2.40% of shares, the average 2.9% (both measured as practical maxima at announcement. Median/Average % of ADV was 7.6/9.2%. </li>
<li>My prediction that this will be a record year for stock buybacks still stands.</li>
</ul>


This past week, nearly 150 companies in Japan announced buyback programmes totalling ¥2.1trln. 3 Tenders, 26 ToSTNeT-3 buybacks (including at least 5 delayed starts). 
The median on-market buyback was 2.40% of shares, the average 2.9% (both measured as practical maxima at announcement. Median/Average % of ADV was 7.6/9.2%. 
My prediction that this will be a record year for stock buybacks still stands.


<ul>
<li>Kazuo Inamori (稲盛和夫), founder of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kyocera-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:753:1" rel="noopener">Kyocera Corp (6971 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> precursor company DDI (Dai Ni Den Den), and former chairman of JAL overseeing restructuring, has passed.</li>
<li>In his own name, he owns 10.212mm shares of Kyocera, and likely other assets. Inheritance tax would be due 10 months from now. </li>
<li>Kyocera is not blowing out the lights compared to peers, but it is relatively inexpensive to its history and peers. If the shares are sold, Kyocera can buy them.</li>
</ul>


Kazuo Inamori (稲盛和夫), founder of Kyocera Corp (6971 JP) and KDDI Corp (9433 JP) precursor company DDI (Dai Ni Den Den), and former chairman of JAL overseeing restructuring, has passed.
In his own name, he owns 10.212mm shares of Kyocera, and likely other assets. Inheritance tax would be due 10 months from now. 
Kyocera is not blowing out the lights compared to peers, but it is relatively inexpensive to its history and peers. If the shares are sold, Kyocera can buy them.


Kyocera (6971 JP) Founder Kazuo Inamori Passes - Implications for Holdings

<ul>
<li>On Friday, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/wacoal-holdings-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6274:1" rel="noopener">Wacoal Holdings (3591 JP)</a> announced <a href="https://www.wacoalholdings.jp/en/ir/topics/files/f3dbf60408c47eef2dd5304ded2de336.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earnings</a>, <a href="https://www.wacoalholdings.jp/en/ir/topics/files/wacoalholdingsnews20220513_4en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adoption of IFRS</a> this year (US GAAP til now), <a href="https://www.wacoalholdings.jp/en/ir/topics/files/766f7c4fa1b24fc35d5e6098f22433cf.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dividends</a>, a <a href="https://www.wacoalholdings.jp/en/ir/topics/files/f3dbf60408c47eef2dd5304ded2de336.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">div hike</a> and higher earnings this year, and a <a href="https://www.wacoalholdings.jp/en/ir/topics/files/wacoalholdingsnews20220513_5en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HUGE buyback</a>.</li>
<li>The buyback is for up to 5.5mm share (8.95% of shares) spending up to ¥10bn.</li>
<li>Given the structure of the shareholder base, this opens up interesting possibilities.</li>
</ul>


On Friday, Wacoal Holdings (3591 JP) announced earnings, adoption of IFRS this year (US GAAP til now), dividends, a div hike and higher earnings this year, and a HUGE buyback.
The buyback is for up to 5.5mm share (8.95% of shares) spending up to ¥10bn.
Given the structure of the shareholder base, this opens up interesting possibilities.


HUGE Wacoal (3591) Buyback - Buyback Structure Unknown But Interesting Possibilities Exist

Japan

WACOAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION manufactures women's underwear.  The Company also manufactures outerwear, sports, and children's wear.  Wacoal has direct-sales network and overseas operations in Southeast Asia, the US, and Europe.

Wacoal Holdings (3591 JP)

Shenzhou (2313 HK): Contract Mfr for Leading Sportswear Brands Facing Challenging Demand Outlook.

Consensus estimates do not account for customer, retailer, Asian market share shift, macro, alt data and geopolitical risks.

Robert C Prather Jr

Itochu Buying Descente (8114) - ANTA Selldown Offset Or Creeping Takeover?

ANTA went below 5% in Descente in April. Itochu started buying in May. As of 7 Sep, they had bought 81 days straight, accumulating 3.1%. There are...

Travis Lundy

JAPAN BUYBACKS: A Very Big Week

Almost ¥2.2trln of buybacks were announced this past week. Several large ones but 120+ different companies in total. This is the push higher for a...

Travis Lundy

Kyocera (6971 JP) Founder Kazuo Inamori Passes - Implications for Holdings

Kyocera founder and KDDI "co-founder" Kazuo Inamori has passed away. He has a ¥80bn stake in Kyocera, and Kyocera owns 15% of KDDI. But overhang is...

Travis Lundy

HUGE Wacoal (3591) Buyback - Buyback Structure Unknown But Interesting Possibilities Exist

Wacoal promised a couple of years ago to sell some cross-holdings and pay out a fair bit through dividends and share buybacks. It is now delivering...

Travis Lundy