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Smartkarma Daily Briefs

Daily Brief Australia: Recce Ltd and more

By | Australia, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Recce Pharmaceuticals – R327 continues to progress in clinical trials


Recce Pharmaceuticals – R327 continues to progress in clinical trials

By Edison Investment Research

Recce Pharmaceuticals raised A$11.0m (gross) in September and October. Most of the proceeds (A$6m) will be directed towards the company’s clinical programmes for lead anti-infective candidate RECCE® 327 (R327), including the ongoing Phase I/II study of the IV formulation in healthy volunteers and in patients with uncomplicated or recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). This study continues to advance, with the company recently dosing healthy subjects with the 3,000mg dose over a 15-minute infusion period, following a favourable safety review of this dose over a 30-minute infusion. We model that Recce is currently funded into CY24 and expect the company to seek additional funding, which may come from partnerships or non-dilutive arrangements. Following minor adjustments to our forecasts, we now obtain an rNPV valuation of A$551.1m (or A$2.71 per share), versus A$562.4m previously.


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Daily Brief South Korea: DS Dansuk, Posco DX and more

By | Daily Briefs, South Korea

In today’s briefing:

  • DS Dansuk IPO Bookbuilding Results Analysis
  • KOSDAQ150 Index Rebalance Preview: Posco DX Listing Transfer


DS Dansuk IPO Bookbuilding Results Analysis

By Douglas Kim

  • DS Dansuk reported solid bookbuilding results. DS Dansuk IPO price has been determined at 100,000 won per share, which is 12.4% higher than high end of the IPO price range.
  • A total of 1,843 institutional investors participated in this IPO book building. The demand ratio was 342 to 1. DS Dansuk IPO will start trading on 22 December.
  • Given the strong IPO bookbuilding results, we believe shares of DS Dansuk are likely to trade above the high end of the IPO sensitivity analysis (137,877 won). 

KOSDAQ150 Index Rebalance Preview: Posco DX Listing Transfer

By Brian Freitas


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Daily Brief Indonesia: GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk PT, AKR Corporindo and more

By | Daily Briefs, Indonesia

In today’s briefing:

  • GoTo: Thoughts on the New Tokopedia/TikTok Partnership
  • AKR Corporindo (AKRA IJ) – Holistic Industrial Proxy


GoTo: Thoughts on the New Tokopedia/TikTok Partnership

By Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

  • GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk PT (GOTO IJ) announced on Monday a partnership with TikTok  which would combine former’s e-commerce biz Tokopedia with TikTok Shop Indonesia.
  • TikTok was forced to close its e-commerce services in Indonesia following regulations banning online shopping on social media platforms in September citing protection of smaller merchants and data privacy.
  • It seems TikTok will certainly be a winner if the deal is approved but surprised at GoTo’s move to retain a minority stake given e-commerce business is nearing profits.

AKR Corporindo (AKRA IJ) – Holistic Industrial Proxy

By Angus Mackintosh

  • AKR Corporindo (AKRA IJ) recently hosted an analyst meeting where it provided some positive guidance for FY2024, with projections of double digit net profit growth with growth across all segments.
  • The core trading and distribution business is expected to see positive growth in 2024 with  the real kicker to come from its JIIPE industrial Estate plus recurrent income from utilities.
  • AKR Corporindo (AKRA IJ) is an increasingly holistic play on Indonesia’s growth through its fuel and chemical distribution, which is being hosted by smelters and the EV battery complex.

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Daily Brief India: India Shelter Finance, IDFC First Bank Limited and more

By | Daily Briefs, India

In today’s briefing:

  • India Shelter Finance IPO – Strong Track Record Could Justify a Premium Valuation
  • Indian Shelter Finance IPO- Forensic Analysis
  • 2024 High Conviction Idea: IDFCBK IN: Best-In-Class Midsize Bank in India; Long-Term Performance


India Shelter Finance IPO – Strong Track Record Could Justify a Premium Valuation

By Clarence Chu

  • India Shelter Finance (0570670D IN) is looking to raise US$144m from its India IPO.
  • India Shelter Finance (ISF) is a retail-focused HFC targeting the self-employed customer with a focus on first time home loan takers in the low and middle income group.
  • In this note, we will look at past performance, and share our thoughts on valuation.

Indian Shelter Finance IPO- Forensic Analysis

By Nitin Mangal

  • India Shelter Finance (0570670D IN) (ISFC) IPO worth INR 12 bn opens for subscription this week. The issue comprises INR 8 bn fresh issue and INR 4 bn OFS. 
  • ISFC has been generating high growth in AUM and disbursements in the last few years. The company has also improved its NPAs and stability.
  • However, there are few cautions regarding employee productivity and on the opex side. Also, slippages have increased in H1F24.

2024 High Conviction Idea: IDFCBK IN: Best-In-Class Midsize Bank in India; Long-Term Performance

By Raj Saya, CA, CFA

  • IDFC First Bank Limited (IDFCBK IN)  has built a banking franchise that holds the best promise among the mid-sized banks in India for long-run outperformance.
  • A high-yielding and retail-oriented loan book, track record of pristine asset quality, superior funding profile boosting best-in-class retail deposit base, and incrementally improving unit economics.
  • We value the stock as a long-term Buy, with 35% upside in near-term, as the bank continues to realize the benefits of its increasing scale on its earnings profile.

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Daily Brief United States: Hollysys Automation Technologies, Soybean Active Contract, Las Vegas Sands, S&P 500 INDEX, Johnson Controls and more

By | Daily Briefs, United States

In today’s briefing:

  • Hollysys (HOLI US): Merger Agreement Leaves the Door Ajar for a Higher Recco Offer
  • [Counting Beans #1] Robust Soybean Exports Driving Prices Higher Despite Record Harvest
  • Las Vegas Sands: Our Case for This as a $70 Stock Is Strong but It Lingers in the 40s
  • Lockout Rally Continues; Breakouts Piling Up; SPX Breakout Above 2-Yr Resistance at 4600-4607
  • Digging Into Cybersecurity Incidents


Hollysys (HOLI US): Merger Agreement Leaves the Door Ajar for a Higher Recco Offer

By Arun George

  • Bloomberg reports that the Recco consortium is considering “a significantly higherHollysys Automation Technologies (HOLI US) offer than Ascendent’s US$26.50 binding offer.
  • The Hollysys 6-K filling outlines the closing conditions – a simple majority YES vote, regulatory approvals, minimum net cash (waivable) and a 10% maximum dissent condition (waivable).  
  • Recco is a committed suitor and will not easily give up. The merger agreement clauses point to a Recco offer floor of US$27.03 and a ceiling of US$30.48.

[Counting Beans #1] Robust Soybean Exports Driving Prices Higher Despite Record Harvest

By Pranay Yadav

  • Research shows that El Niño results in milder weather leading to higher precipitation and consequently ~3.5% higher yield leading to depressed bean prices.
  • Bean prices have outperformed seasonal trends in November and December. It is surprising given surplus inventory outlook and El Niño effect on production.
  • Notifications of large export sales have driven much of the bullishness in prices over the past week. Prices are up 1.7% from last Friday’s settlement prices.

Las Vegas Sands: Our Case for This as a $70 Stock Is Strong but It Lingers in the 40s

By Howard J Klein

  • Adelson family interests have sold 10% of their LVS equity to acquire a pro basketball franchise. This triggered am 8.5% decline in the stock when it was actually  bullish.
  • The market has not yet grasped the magnitude of  the Asian  gaming  recovery arc which points to 2024 reaching baseline 2019 arrivals and GRR pace by mid-2024.
  • LVS has the scale and amenities to outperform peers but this  is  not  yet reflected in its trading  range dead pooled in  the $40s.

Lockout Rally Continues; Breakouts Piling Up; SPX Breakout Above 2-Yr Resistance at 4600-4607

By Joe Jasper

  • Since 11/21/23 Compass we have discussed weekly that even a minor 2-5% pullback is far from a guarantee, considering “breakaway gaps” and what appeared to be an ongoing “lockout rally”
  • All we got was a 1% peak to trough decline in the S&P 500, while the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) pulled back 2.9% (though left the 11/14/23 gap unfilled).
  • Now, SPX and QQQ are breaking out yet again after a multi-week consolidation period, including SPX breaking above 2-year resistance at 4600-4607. This is what a strong market looks like.

Digging Into Cybersecurity Incidents

By Calcbench

  • So there we were today, scanning the latest corporate filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission , when we noticed that Johnson Controls ($JCI) had filed its latest earnings report .
  • We started reading, and were immediately stopped short by this earnings adjustment, right there in the second bullet point: Fiscal Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.80; Q4 Adjusted EPS of $1.
  • Hold up — what cybersecurity incident? When did that happen, and what has Johnson Controls said about it so far? 

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Daily Brief China: JD.com Inc (ADR), China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp Ltd, Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank, Li Auto , Hunan Yuneng New Energy Battery Material, HighTide Therapeutics, Longfor Properties and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • NASDAQ 100 Index Rebalance: 6 Regular Changes + 1 Adhoc Change; US$37bn to Trade
  • China Tourism Group (601888 CH, BUY, TP: CNY106): How to Catch a Falling Knife
  • Quiddity Leaderboard CSI 300/​​500 Jun 24: 109 Flow Names; US$2.3bn One-Way
  • Li Auto (LI US, 2015 HK): Deliveries Surged, But Overvalued Apart from Comparing with Tesla
  • Quiddity Leaderboard ChiNext & ChiNext 50 Jun 24: Early Preview; US$863mn One-Way Index Flows
  • Pre-IPO HighTide Therapeutics (PHIP Updates) – Some Shareholders Have Chosen to Quit in Advance
  • Morning Views Asia:


NASDAQ 100 Index Rebalance: 6 Regular Changes + 1 Adhoc Change; US$37bn to Trade

By Brian Freitas

  • There were 6 inclusions and 6 exclusions for the Nasdaq-100 Stock Index (NDX INDEX) at the annual December reconstitution. Then another ad hoc change was added on top of that.
  • Impact on the inclusions ranges from 1-8 days of ADV to buy, while the impact on the deletions varies from 0.7-2.6 days of ADV to sell.
  • Apart from the constituent changes, there are expected to be inflows in Tesla Motors and Broadcom and outflows from Apple, Microsoft, Amazon.com and NVIDIA.

China Tourism Group (601888 CH, BUY, TP: CNY106): How to Catch a Falling Knife

By Mohshin Aziz

  • China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp Ltd (601888 CH)  (CTG) share price has plunged by 63% despite solid 9M23 profits growth and cash flushed balance sheet 
  • Underlying fundamentals is solid, Chinese people still buying duty free goods, albeit tilting towards value than decadence purchases 
  • CTG is cheap relative to its own history on all valuation metrics (PE, P/Book, P/FCF) and many technical indicators suggest it is in OVERSOLD territory 

Quiddity Leaderboard CSI 300/​​500 Jun 24: 109 Flow Names; US$2.3bn One-Way

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • CSI 300 represents the 300 largest stocks by market capitalization and liquidity from the entire universe of Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. CSI 500 represents the next largest 500 names.
  • In this insight, we take a look at the potential ADDs/DELs for the CSI 300 and CSI 500 rebalance in June 2024.
  • At present, I see 10 ADDs/DELs for the CSI 300 index and 50 ADDs/DELs for the CSI 500 index.

Li Auto (LI US, 2015 HK): Deliveries Surged, But Overvalued Apart from Comparing with Tesla

By Ming Lu

  • Li Auto’s deliveries and revenues surged by three digits since 3Q23.
  • The company is building new factories in Changzhou and Beijing. 
  • However, we believe the stock is overvalued apart from comparing with Tesla.

Quiddity Leaderboard ChiNext & ChiNext 50 Jun 24: Early Preview; US$863mn One-Way Index Flows

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • The ChiNext Index represents the performance of the 100 largest and most liquid A-share stocks listed on the ChiNext Market of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
  • The ChiNext 50 index is a subset of the ChiNext Index and it consists of the top 50 names in the ChiNext index with the highest daily average turnover.
  • In this insight, we take a look at the names leading the race to become ADDs and DELs in the June 2024 index rebal event.

Pre-IPO HighTide Therapeutics (PHIP Updates) – Some Shareholders Have Chosen to Quit in Advance

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Diseases with complex mechanisms like NASH are unlikely to be solved by drugs with a single target, but compared with THR-β and GLP-1s, our view on HTD1801’s prospects is negative.
  • HTD1801 faces high R&D failure risk and challenges in obtaining the final approval for NASH indication. For T2DM indication, the current intense competitive landscape has dimmed its future commercialization prospects.
  • Several original shareholders have already cashed out in advance, indicating that they are not optimistic about the prospects of HighTide. The valuation premium space after IPO could be lower-than-expected.

Morning Views Asia:

By Charles Macgregor

Lucror Analytics Morning Views comprise our fundamental credit analysis, opinions and trade recommendations on high yield issuers in the region, based on key company-specific developments in the past 24 hours. Our Morning Views include a section with a brief market commentary, key market indicators and a macroeconomic and corporate event calendar.


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    Daily Brief Japan: Shinko Electric Industries, Recruit Holdings, Toyota Motor, INFRONEER Holdings , TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX, Geo Holdings, Takachiho Koheki, Duskin Co Ltd and more

    By | Daily Briefs, Japan

    In today’s briefing:

    • JIC Deal For Shinko Electric Is LIGHT, and There’s Room To Complain, But Will Trade Wide
    • Recruit (6098 JP) Buyback – It’s Big But Not THAT Big; Value Act Effect Vs Corp Selldown Vs Multiple
    • Toyota Cross-Shareholding – To Say a Whole Lot Is Left Would Be a US$26bn Understatement
    • Infroneer (5076) | Valuation Turbulence
    • It’s Unreasonable to Hope for Higher Stock Prices While Being Reluctant to Disclose Information
    • Geo Holdings: Plenty of Money in Old Rope
    • 2Q Follow-Up – Takachiho Koheki (2676 JP)
    • Duskin (4665 JP) – Proactive Changes to Result in Higher Performance


    JIC Deal For Shinko Electric Is LIGHT, and There’s Room To Complain, But Will Trade Wide

    By Travis Lundy

    • 29 minutes after I published a long, musing piece on the possibilities of structure and announcement later this week, JIC and Shinko Electric announced 5 minutes before midnight.
    • A warning for the future: The Nikkei and every other media outlet got the number wrong. It is NOT a total acquisition cost of “around ¥800bn”. It is under ¥700bn. 
    • It IS a split deal. And if JIC won with that price, it tells you something about the state of the market and future deals in the space.

    Recruit (6098 JP) Buyback – It’s Big But Not THAT Big; Value Act Effect Vs Corp Selldown Vs Multiple

    By Travis Lundy

    • Last month, Reuters reported that activist-ish investor Value Act Capital Management had bought a stake in Recruit Holdings (6098 JP) and separately in Expedia Group, Inc. (EXPE US)). 
    • It was “revealed” in a letter to its clients. And there were reasons stated why Value Act thought Recruit was worth a lot more than it was trading for. 
    • Today, Recruit announced an on-market buyback for ¥200bn. That’s nice. But it is not enormous, and it may signal other info, and it is worth understanding details and context.

    Toyota Cross-Shareholding – To Say a Whole Lot Is Left Would Be a US$26bn Understatement

    By Sumeet Singh

    • With Toyota (7203 JP) having sold some of its stake in Denso, KDDI and Harmonic Drive this year, it has firmly set the ball rolling for unwinding some of its cross-shareholding.
    • Toyota has a shareholding in around 60 listed companies, with its combined disposable stake worth over US$26bn.
    • In this note, we take a look at its stakes in various companies to see which ones could possibly be candidates for further selldowns.

    Infroneer (5076) | Valuation Turbulence

    By Mark Chadwick

    • JWD Acquisition: Infroneer acquires Japan Wind Development for ¥200 billion, sparking a ¥75 billion market cap dip and concerns about potential overpayment.
    • Valuation Analysis: Using DCF and comparable transaction values, estimates suggest JWD’s equity value may be far lower than the agreed-upon ¥200 billion.
    • Need for Transparency: Infroneer’s claim of fair value requires scrutiny. Market suggests an estimated fair value of ¥125 billion, emphasizing the need for detailed information on the acquisition.

    It’s Unreasonable to Hope for Higher Stock Prices While Being Reluctant to Disclose Information

    By Aki Matsumoto

    • A company that does’t include a cash flow statement in its 1Q and 3Q financial summaries, which will now be mandatory, is a company that is reluctant to disclose information.
    • Management groups have called for making quarterly disclosure voluntary. This time, a hand has been dealt with a compromise proposal to unify quarterly reports and financial statements in securities reports.
    • While the risk of dropping quarterly disclosure in the near future is small, the major problem is that some managers are still reluctant to disclose information.

    Geo Holdings: Plenty of Money in Old Rope

    By Michael Causton

    • Consumption of used products is rising fast as exemplified by the rise of 2nd Street. 
    • Operated by Geo Holdings (2681 JP), once just a DVD rental business, it is now Japan’s largest used goods retailer.
    • Sales are booming in a market increasingly focused on thrift and re-use, allowing 2nd Street to even take on the might of Mercari.

    2Q Follow-Up – Takachiho Koheki (2676 JP)

    By Sessa Investment Research

    • Takachiho Koheki is a trading company highly specialized in electronics technology, introducing the world’s cutting-edge electronics products to Japan ahead of competitors, positioned as a specialized technical group with engineering employees accounting for 42.2% of its workforce.
    • The company’s electronics products and IT solution services help solve modern social issues of great concern such as crime control and prevention, labor shortages and labor savings, and climate change and disasters.
    • In 1H FY24/3, the company reported consolidated net sales of ¥12,729 mn (+14.5% YoY), operating profit of ¥713 mn (+22.2% YoY), ordinary profit of ¥1,057 mn (+18.2% YoY), and profit attributable to owners of parent (hereinafter, net profit) of ¥717 mn (+9.2% YoY).

    Duskin (4665 JP) – Proactive Changes to Result in Higher Performance

    By Astris Advisory Japan

    • Positive dynamic changes being executed – Q1-2 FY3/2024 results were in line with upwardly revised company guidance and indicated that the company is making steadfast progress in its transformation initiatives via positive capital allocation.
    • Investment into Smart Factory via RFID technology is being conducted as planned to drive future cost efficiencies, and the company raised its FY dividend forecast to ¥98 per share (initially forecast at ¥78) highlighting the company’s positive stance on returning cash to shareholders.
    • The Food Group business continues to see robust growth at ‘Mister Donut’ restaurant chain, driven by increases in footfall, average spending, and store sales YoY.

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    Most Read: Denso Corp, Benefit One Inc, Shinko Electric Industries, JD.com Inc (ADR), Tongcheng Travel Holdings , Recruit Holdings, Hollysys Automation Technologies and more

    By | Daily Briefs, Most Read

    In today’s briefing:

    • Denso Corp (6902 JP): Potential US$4.6bn Placement & Limited Passive Buying
    • JIC Consortium Possibly In Line to Win Shinko At “¥800bn”, Which Makes You Go 🤔
    • Benefit One (2412): M3 Extends For a Full Month
    • Shinko Electric (6967 JP): JIC’s Pre-Conditional Tender Offer at JPY5,920
    • JIC Deal For Shinko Electric Is LIGHT, and There’s Room To Complain, But Will Trade Wide
    • NASDAQ 100 Index Rebalance: 6 Regular Changes + 1 Adhoc Change; US$37bn to Trade
    • Hollysys Gives Ascendent Capital The Nod. “Agnostic” Shareholders Will Approve
    • HSTECH Index Rebalance Preview: Tongcheng Travel (780 HK) Could Replace GDS (9698 HK)
    • Recruit (6098 JP) Buyback – It’s Big But Not THAT Big; Value Act Effect Vs Corp Selldown Vs Multiple
    • Hollysys (HOLI US): Merger Agreement Leaves the Door Ajar for a Higher Recco Offer


    Denso Corp (6902 JP): Potential US$4.6bn Placement & Limited Passive Buying

    By Brian Freitas


    JIC Consortium Possibly In Line to Win Shinko At “¥800bn”, Which Makes You Go 🤔

    By Travis Lundy

    • A Nikkei article today suggested that Fujitsu had granted preferential negotiating rights to buy Shinko Electric Industries (6967 JP) to a JIC-led consortium (including DNP and Mitsui Chem) for ~¥800bn.
    • This happened late in the afternoon session. Shares spiked 5+%, then were halted. A gray market ensued. 
    • A Bloomberg article provided more info, and the same info nuanced slightly differently. The wording in yet other articles was interesting enough that it is worth discussing. 

    Benefit One (2412): M3 Extends For a Full Month

    By Travis Lundy

    • Today after the close, Benefit One Inc (2412 JP) amended its Tender Offer Target Opinion Statement to note that Dai Ichi Life had made a proposal to acquire 100%.
    • To allow the Board time to evaluate this proposal, the Company requested a Tender extension. Bidder M3 Inc (2413 JP) was obliged to extend 10 days. They extended 20 days.
    • This tells us a bunch of things. It is worth thinking about what happened to get here.

    Shinko Electric (6967 JP): JIC’s Pre-Conditional Tender Offer at JPY5,920

    By Arun George

    • After months of speculation, Shinko Electric Industries (6967 JP) has recommended the JIC alliance’s preconditional tender offer of JPY5,920 per share, an 18.9% premium to the undisturbed price (31 May). 
    • The pre-condition relates to regulatory approvals in Japan, China, Korea, and possibly Vietnam. The offeror may waive the pre-condition. The offer is long-dated and expected to start in August 2024.
    • The minimum acceptance condition requires a 33.3% minority acceptance rate. Despite the low 7.1% premium to the last close, the offer resulted from a competing bidding process. 

    JIC Deal For Shinko Electric Is LIGHT, and There’s Room To Complain, But Will Trade Wide

    By Travis Lundy

    • 29 minutes after I published a long, musing piece on the possibilities of structure and announcement later this week, JIC and Shinko Electric announced 5 minutes before midnight.
    • A warning for the future: The Nikkei and every other media outlet got the number wrong. It is NOT a total acquisition cost of “around ¥800bn”. It is under ¥700bn. 
    • It IS a split deal. And if JIC won with that price, it tells you something about the state of the market and future deals in the space.

    NASDAQ 100 Index Rebalance: 6 Regular Changes + 1 Adhoc Change; US$37bn to Trade

    By Brian Freitas

    • There were 6 inclusions and 6 exclusions for the Nasdaq-100 Stock Index (NDX INDEX) at the annual December reconstitution. Then another ad hoc change was added on top of that.
    • Impact on the inclusions ranges from 1-8 days of ADV to buy, while the impact on the deletions varies from 0.7-2.6 days of ADV to sell.
    • Apart from the constituent changes, there are expected to be inflows in Tesla Motors and Broadcom and outflows from Apple, Microsoft, Amazon.com and NVIDIA.

    Hollysys Gives Ascendent Capital The Nod. “Agnostic” Shareholders Will Approve

    By David Blennerhassett

    • Hollysys Automation Technologies (HOLI US)‘s board persistent stonewalling was effectively terminated after the its court injunction was dismissed last month. An SGM will now take place sometime next month.  
    • A firm merger agreement was expected this month, and Hollysys announced yesterday Ascendent Capital has emerged as the preferred suitor with a (revised) US$26.50/share Offer. 
    • This looks to be (finally) all stitched up. Trading wide-ish to terms. Get involved. 

    HSTECH Index Rebalance Preview: Tongcheng Travel (780 HK) Could Replace GDS (9698 HK)

    By Brian Freitas


    Recruit (6098 JP) Buyback – It’s Big But Not THAT Big; Value Act Effect Vs Corp Selldown Vs Multiple

    By Travis Lundy

    • Last month, Reuters reported that activist-ish investor Value Act Capital Management had bought a stake in Recruit Holdings (6098 JP) and separately in Expedia Group, Inc. (EXPE US)). 
    • It was “revealed” in a letter to its clients. And there were reasons stated why Value Act thought Recruit was worth a lot more than it was trading for. 
    • Today, Recruit announced an on-market buyback for ¥200bn. That’s nice. But it is not enormous, and it may signal other info, and it is worth understanding details and context.

    Hollysys (HOLI US): Merger Agreement Leaves the Door Ajar for a Higher Recco Offer

    By Arun George

    • Bloomberg reports that the Recco consortium is considering “a significantly higherHollysys Automation Technologies (HOLI US) offer than Ascendent’s US$26.50 binding offer.
    • The Hollysys 6-K filling outlines the closing conditions – a simple majority YES vote, regulatory approvals, minimum net cash (waivable) and a 10% maximum dissent condition (waivable).  
    • Recco is a committed suitor and will not easily give up. The merger agreement clauses point to a Recco offer floor of US$27.03 and a ceiling of US$30.48.

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    Daily Brief Technical Analysis: Lockout Rally Continues; Breakouts Piling Up; SPX Breakout Above 2-Yr Resistance at 4600-4607 and more

    By | Daily Briefs, Technical Analysis

    In today’s briefing:

    • Lockout Rally Continues; Breakouts Piling Up; SPX Breakout Above 2-Yr Resistance at 4600-4607


    Lockout Rally Continues; Breakouts Piling Up; SPX Breakout Above 2-Yr Resistance at 4600-4607

    By Joe Jasper

    • Since 11/21/23 Compass we have discussed weekly that even a minor 2-5% pullback is far from a guarantee, considering “breakaway gaps” and what appeared to be an ongoing “lockout rally”
    • All we got was a 1% peak to trough decline in the S&P 500, while the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) pulled back 2.9% (though left the 11/14/23 gap unfilled).
    • Now, SPX and QQQ are breaking out yet again after a multi-week consolidation period, including SPX breaking above 2-year resistance at 4600-4607. This is what a strong market looks like.

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    Daily Brief ESG: It’s Unreasonable to Hope for Higher Stock Prices While Being Reluctant to Disclose Information and more

    By | Daily Briefs, ESG

    In today’s briefing:

    • It’s Unreasonable to Hope for Higher Stock Prices While Being Reluctant to Disclose Information


    It’s Unreasonable to Hope for Higher Stock Prices While Being Reluctant to Disclose Information

    By Aki Matsumoto

    • A company that does’t include a cash flow statement in its 1Q and 3Q financial summaries, which will now be mandatory, is a company that is reluctant to disclose information.
    • Management groups have called for making quarterly disclosure voluntary. This time, a hand has been dealt with a compromise proposal to unify quarterly reports and financial statements in securities reports.
    • While the risk of dropping quarterly disclosure in the near future is small, the major problem is that some managers are still reluctant to disclose information.

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