Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas, Azabu Research

Michael Allen

Japanese Turnaround Situations, Short-Ideas

Azabu Research

Azabu Research is a publishing and consulting firm focused on distressed equities in the Japanese market. We specialize in turnaround strategies, corporate combinations, divestitures, and restructuring.

Publisher of the Tokyo Turnaround Letter, which conducts the most thorough research possible of publicly available information, including forensic tests for fraudulent overstatement of assets and understatement of liabilities, as well as rigorous market and industry analysis to assess the underlying strengths of the company’s products or services, the appropriateness of the company’s turnaround strategy, and the skill of its current management team. The average length of a report exceeds 25 pages of text and tables, excluding any disclosures or executive summaries.

We have more than 30 years of experience in applying this process to distressed equities in Japan. Additionally, subscribers have free access to detailed, yet easily navigated earnings models for the target company as well as the top five comparable companies, and unlimited access to the analyst for follow-up questions.

Azabu Research also conducts be-spoke research on a project basis, and provides consulting services to companies looking to restructure, divest, make acquisitions, go public, or improve investor sentiment toward their stock.

Independent Research and Consulting Firm

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>2025 will start with more attractive turnaround opportunities than we have seen in a long time. </li>
<li>An uptick in TOBs, MBOs and merger discussions makes it suddenly no longer safe to short low-PBR companies indiscriminately.</li>
<li>Investors are noticing. More than two-dozen large- and medium-cap stocks with deep discounts to the benchmark began to bounce off well-defined support levels in late December.</li>
</ul>


2025 will start with more attractive turnaround opportunities than we have seen in a long time. 
An uptick in TOBs, MBOs and merger discussions makes it suddenly no longer safe to short low-PBR companies indiscriminately.
Investors are noticing. More than two-dozen large- and medium-cap stocks with deep discounts to the benchmark began to bounce off well-defined support levels in late December.


Unloved Japan Round Up Jan. 3: Set Up for A Banner Year?

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/sumitomo-riko-company-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14955:1" rel="noopener">Sumitomo Riko Company (5191 JP)</a> has recommended a tender offer from <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sumitomo-electric-industries" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10496:1" rel="noopener">Sumitomo Electric Industries (5802 JP)</a> at JPY2,600, a 20.6% premium to the undisturbed price.</li>
<li>The offer is arguably attractive as it is above the midpoint of the special committee/target IFA DCF valuation range and represents an all-time high. </li>
<li>The offer is light as it implies a discount to peer multiples. However, the significant cross-holders on the register suggest that the minimum tendering condition should be met. </li>
</ul>



Sumitomo Riko Company (5191 JP) has recommended a tender offer from Sumitomo Electric Industries (5802 JP) at JPY2,600, a 20.6% premium to the undisturbed price.
The offer is arguably attractive as it is above the midpoint of the special committee/target IFA DCF valuation range and represents an all-time high. 
The offer is light as it implies a discount to peer multiples. However, the significant cross-holders on the register suggest that the minimum tendering condition should be met. 


Sumitomo Riko (5191 JP): Sumitomo Electric (5802 JP)’s Tender Offer Is Light but Likely Done

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We remain near-term bullish since our 4/22/25 Compass, and our intermediate-term outlook remains bullish as well (as of our 5/14/25 Compass), with Int’l Compass reports all echoing this sentiment</li>
<li>Short-Term supports to watch on ACWI-US continue to be $132 (testing now), $130, $128, $125-$126, and $123-$123.50. All signs point to the ACWI-US uptrend continuing for the foreseeable future.</li>
<li>Upgrading China to Overweight; Europe Breaking Out; Japan Also Remains Attractive. Buys in Consumer Discretionary (primarily autos/parts), Industrials, Services, Health Care, Materials, Financials, and Real Estate</li>
</ul>


We remain near-term bullish since our 4/22/25 Compass, and our intermediate-term outlook remains bullish as well (as of our 5/14/25 Compass), with Int’l Compass reports all echoing this sentiment
Short-Term supports to watch on ACWI-US continue to be $132 (testing now), $130, $128, $125-$126, and $123-$123.50. All signs point to the ACWI-US uptrend continuing for the foreseeable future.
Upgrading China to Overweight; Europe Breaking Out; Japan Also Remains Attractive. Buys in Consumer Discretionary (primarily autos/parts), Industrials, Services, Health Care, Materials, Financials, and Real Estate


Upgrading China to Overweight; Europe Breaking Out

Foxconn Industrial Internet / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We remain near-term bullish SPX and ACWI since 4/22/25, and our intermediate-term outlook remains bullish as well (as of our 5/14/25 Compass), with Int’l Compass reports all echoing this sentiment.</li>
<li>We discussed in our July 31, 2025 Int'l Compass how $128, $125-$126, and $123-$123.50 were short-term supports to watch on ACWI-US, and ACWI-US found support at $128 the next day.</li>
<li>Europe (EURO STOXX 50) is the last of the major countries (from a global market cap perspective) to break out; we expect it to be next</li>
</ul>


We remain near-term bullish SPX and ACWI since 4/22/25, and our intermediate-term outlook remains bullish as well (as of our 5/14/25 Compass), with Int’l Compass reports all echoing this sentiment.
We discussed in our July 31, 2025 Int'l Compass how $128, $125-$126, and $123-$123.50 were short-term supports to watch on ACWI-US, and ACWI-US found support at $128 the next day.
Europe (EURO STOXX 50) is the last of the major countries (from a global market cap perspective) to break out; we expect it to be next


Europe Next to Break Out?; Bullish Outlook Intact; Remain Overweight Korea, Greece, and the U.S.

Japanese Equity Specialist, Ortus Advisors

Andrew Jackson

Japanese Equity Specialist

Ortus Advisors

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Oversold tech/SPE/AI surging after Trump delayed reciprocal tariffs on all but China, with the SOX up the most of all time.</li>
<li>Expect similar moves with oversold tech beta likely to open &gt;+10%.</li>
<li>Banks and life insurance  should continue to fare well given the persistently high yields, and names with high export ratios to the US.</li>
</ul>


Oversold tech/SPE/AI surging after Trump delayed reciprocal tariffs on all but China, with the SOX up the most of all time.
Expect similar moves with oversold tech beta likely to open &gt;+10%.
Banks and life insurance  should continue to fare well given the persistently high yields, and names with high export ratios to the US.


Japan Morning Connection: Trump Pulls off One of the Greatest Ruses of All Time

Japan

The Yokohama Rubber Company Limited produces rubber products including automobile tires, tubes, and conveyor belt for industrial use.  The Company also produces golf clubs and passenger aircraft parts such as restroom units and tanks for drinking water.

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Yokohama Rubber (5101 JP)

Unloved Japan Round Up Jan. 3: Set Up for A Banner Year?

An uptick in TOBs, MBOs, and mergers creating the best environment for deep value turnarounds in a long time. Dozens of discounted stocks started...

Michael Allen

Sumitomo Riko (5191 JP): Sumitomo Electric (5802 JP)’s Tender Offer Is Light but Likely Done

The offer is light as it implies a discount to peer multiples. However, the significant cross-holders on the register suggest that the minimum...

Arun George

Upgrading China to Overweight; Europe Breaking Out

Upgrading China to Overweight. Europe Breaking Out. Japan Remains Attractive. All signs point to the $ACWI uptrend continuing for the foreseeable...

Vermilion Research

Europe Next to Break Out?; Bullish Outlook Intact; Remain Overweight Korea, Greece, and the U.S.

Europe Next to Break Out?; China and Japan Remain Attractive and a big focus since our July 3rd report titled "China and Japan Breaking Out;"...

Vermilion Research

Japan Morning Connection: Trump Pulls off One of the Greatest Ruses of All Time

Oversold Tech surging after delay on reciprocal tariffs, with SOX hitting record highs. Expect gains in oversold tech beta and strong performance...

Andrew Jackson

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Unloved Japan Round Up Jan. 3: Set Up for A Banner Year?

An uptick in TOBs, MBOs, and mergers​ creating the best environment for deep value turnarounds in a long time. Dozens of discounted stocks started...

Michael Allen

Sumitomo Riko (5191 JP): Sumitomo Electric (5802 JP)’s Tender Offer Is Light but Likely Done

The offer is light as it implies a discount to peer multiples. However, the significant cross-holders on the register suggest that the minimum...

Arun George

Upgrading China to Overweight; Europe Breaking Out

Upgrading China to Overweight. Europe Breaking Out. Japan Remains Attractive. All signs point to the $ACWI uptrend continuing for the foreseeable...

Vermilion Research

Europe Next to Break Out?; Bullish Outlook Intact; Remain Overweight Korea, Greece, and the U.S.

Europe Next to Break Out?; China and Japan Remain Attractive and a big focus since our July 3rd report titled "China and Japan Breaking Out;"...

Vermilion Research

Japan Morning Connection: Trump Pulls off One of the Greatest Ruses of All Time

Oversold ​Tech surging after delay on reciprocal tariffs, with SOX hitting record highs. Expect gains in oversold tech beta and strong performance...

Andrew Jackson

An uptick in TOBs, MBOs, and mergers creating the best environment for deep value turnarounds in a long time. Dozens of discounted stocks started...

Oversold Tech surging after delay on reciprocal tariffs, with SOX hitting record highs. Expect gains in oversold tech beta and strong performance...