Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, 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.

Equity Capital Markets

Vishal Mega Mart / Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/vishal-mega-mart" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:44041:1" rel="noopener">Vishal Mega Mart</a> is planning to raise around US$950m through its upcoming IPO in India.</li>
<li>Vishal Mega Mart Limited (VMM), is a one-stop retail destination. As per the company it targets middle and lower-middle income consumers across India</li>
<li>In this note, we talk about the positive aspects of the deal.</li>
</ul>



Vishal Mega Mart is planning to raise around US$950m through its upcoming IPO in India.
Vishal Mega Mart Limited (VMM), is a one-stop retail destination. As per the company it targets middle and lower-middle income consumers across India
In this note, we talk about the positive aspects of the deal.


Vishal Mega Mart Pre-IPO - The Positives - One-Stop Shop

Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>Walmart's recent performance in the third quarter of the fiscal year 2025 exhibited both strong growth and notable challenges.</li><li>The company achieved a 6.1% increase in sales in constant currency, and profit grew by 9.8%, reflecting Walmart's ability to manage costs and drive efficiency amid complex global operations.</li><li>Key contributors to the positive results include a 27% increase in e-commerce sales, a 28% growth in advertising, and a 22% rise in membership income, which collectively helped Walmart grow profits faster than sales.</li></ul>

Walmart's recent performance in the third quarter of the fiscal year 2025 exhibited both strong growth and notable challenges.The company achieved a 6.1% increase in sales in constant currency, and profit grew by 9.8%, reflecting Walmart's ability to manage costs and drive efficiency amid complex global operations.Key contributors to the positive results include a 27% increase in e-commerce sales, a 28% growth in advertising, and a 22% rise in membership income, which collectively helped Walmart grow profits faster than sales.

Walmart’s Secret Weapons: How Grocery Dominance and Digital Innovation Are Reshaping Retail! -  Major Drivers

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.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/seven-i-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP)</a> did not dispute the <a href="https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20241119/k10014643321000.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NHK article’s</a> claims that the founding family aims to raise buyout funds by the end of the fiscal year.</li>
<li>Since 13 November, there have been conflicting press reports on the MBO offer price. The NHK article’s implied offer price of JPY3,082 seems the most credible. </li>
<li>The MBO’s aggressive completion timeline pressures <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alimentation-couche-tard-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:25103:1" rel="noopener">Alimentation Couche-Tard (ATD CN)</a> to respond by either overbidding, working with the founding family at the back-end or walking away.</li>
</ul>



Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP) did not dispute the NHK article’s claims that the founding family aims to raise buyout funds by the end of the fiscal year.
Since 13 November, there have been conflicting press reports on the MBO offer price. The NHK article’s implied offer price of JPY3,082 seems the most credible. 
The MBO’s aggressive completion timeline pressures Alimentation Couche-Tard (ATD CN) to respond by either overbidding, working with the founding family at the back-end or walking away.


Seven & I Holdings (3382 JP): Evaluating the Potential MBO

Founder, BWS Financial Inc

Hamed Khorsand

Founder

Independent Stock Specific Research

BWS Financial Inc

BWS provides independent stock specific research focused on companies with distinct value that are going through a special situation where there is a tangible catalyst not priced in. The catalyst can be anything from new product, restructuring, M&A, management change, change in business strategy, etc. BWS’s focus is to understand the change and evaluate the potential return for investors.

BWS utilizes a self formed proprietary approach in discovering stocks by putting great emphasis on deep research. BWS does generate short recommendations following a similar criteria.

<ul>
<li>SYM reported fiscal fourth quarter results that at first glance were better than expected, but really included several accounting events that seem to hide how SYM had a poor quarter.</li>
<li>Along with the quarterly results, SYM disclosed a restatement of prior quarterly results where $39.1 million of high-margin revenue was transferred to the fourth quarter. </li>
<li>When we initiated coverage of SYM we were worried about the timing of revenue associated with Walmart (WMT) and not anticipating an accounting mess.</li>
</ul>


SYM reported fiscal fourth quarter results that at first glance were better than expected, but really included several accounting events that seem to hide how SYM had a poor quarter.
Along with the quarterly results, SYM disclosed a restatement of prior quarterly results where $39.1 million of high-margin revenue was transferred to the fourth quarter. 
When we initiated coverage of SYM we were worried about the timing of revenue associated with Walmart (WMT) and not anticipating an accounting mess.


<ul>
<li>In response to media reports, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/seven-i-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1041:1" rel="noopener">Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP)</a> confirmed receiving a non-binding proposal from Junro Ito (founder’s son) and Ito-Kogyo. No terms were disclosed.</li>
<li>Bloomberg suggests an MBO deal worth up to JPY9 trillion (US$58 billion), which implies an offer of JPY3,467.89, a 39.3% premium to the last close price.</li>
<li>The "white knight" MBO undermines <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alimentation-couche-tard-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:25103:1" rel="noopener">Alimentation Couche-Tard (ATD CN)</a>’s offer and is a proxy for the restructuring plan's value. Couche-Tard will likely walk if a binding MBO proposal emerges.</li>
</ul>


In response to media reports, Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP) confirmed receiving a non-binding proposal from Junro Ito (founder’s son) and Ito-Kogyo. No terms were disclosed.
Bloomberg suggests an MBO deal worth up to JPY9 trillion (US$58 billion), which implies an offer of JPY3,467.89, a 39.3% premium to the last close price.
The "white knight" MBO undermines Alimentation Couche-Tard (ATD CN)’s offer and is a proxy for the restructuring plan's value. Couche-Tard will likely walk if a binding MBO proposal emerges.


Seven & I Holdings (3382 JP): The Rumoured MBO Price Underscores the Trapped Value

United States

Walmart Inc. operates discount stores, supercenters, and neighborhood markets. The Company offers merchandise such as apparel, house wares, small appliances, electronics, musical instruments, books, home improvement, shoes, jewelry, toddler, games, household essentials, pets, pharmaceutical products, party supplies, and automotive tools. Walmart serves customers worldwide.

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Walmart (WMT US)

Vishal Mega Mart Pre-IPO - The Positives - One-Stop Shop

Vishal Mega Mart is planning to raise around US$950m through its upcoming IPO in India. In this note, we talk about the positive aspects of the deal.

Sumeet Singh

Walmart’s Secret Weapons: How Grocery Dominance and Digital Innovation Are Reshaping Retail! - Major Drivers

Walmart's recent performance in the third quarter of the fiscal year 2025 exhibited both strong growth and notable challenges. The company...

Baptista Research

Seven & I Holdings (3382 JP): Evaluating the Potential MBO

The NHK article increases the credibility of the MBO. The completion time pressures Couche-Tard to respond by either overbidding, working on a...

Arun George

SYM: Celebrating an Accounting Nightmare

SYM transferred high-margin revenue to Q4. SYM also recognized $91.6 million in unbilled accounts receivable as revenue creating an illusion of...

BWS Financial Inc

Seven & I Holdings (3382 JP): The Rumoured MBO Price Underscores the Trapped Value

The "white knight" MBO undermines Couche-Tard’s offer and is a proxy for the restructuring plan's value. Couche-Tard will likely walk if a binding...

Arun George

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