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Smartkarma Daily Briefs

Daily Brief South Korea: Hyundai Motor and more

By | Daily Briefs, South Korea

In today’s briefing:

  • Exploring Prioritized Buyback/Cancellation of Samsung Electronics & Hyundai Motor Prefs


Exploring Prioritized Buyback/Cancellation of Samsung Electronics & Hyundai Motor Prefs

By Sanghyun Park

  • Samsung Elec & Hyundai Motor’s high proportion of preferred stocks leads to their unusually high cost of capital, making themselves prime targets for the govt’s Corporate Value Up policy.
  • Policy likely focuses on aggressive share buybacks, especially preferred stock repurchase, to improve PBR. Pension funds may invest heavily in ETFs, offsetting dilution effects.
  • Hyundai Motor may pursue more aggressive shareholder returns due to the India listing, possibly prioritizing preferred share repurchases as it introduces risks of value transfer controversies within Korea.

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Daily Brief United States: Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1, Cardinal Health, Westrock Co, Exxon Mobil, Hawaiian Electric Inds, International Paper Co, Weave Communications Inc, Hologic Inc, Bio Techne Corp, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc and more

By | Daily Briefs, United States

In today’s briefing:

  • Why This AI Bull Is Nothing Like the NASDAQ in 2000
  • Cardinal Health: Expanding Acquisitions Portfolio With Specialty Networks & Other Major Drivers
  • WestRock Company: Strategic Investments for Growth-Oriented Opportunities & Other Major Factors Driving Growth! – Financial Forecasts
  • Exxon Mobil Corporation: Solid Shale Operations Growth & Other Factors Driving Growth! – Major Drivers
  • Hawaiian Electric Co (HE1) – Sunday, Nov 12, 2023
  • International Paper Company: Commercial initiatives And Strategic Investments
  • Weave Communicati Inc (WEAV) – Sunday, Nov 12, 2023
  • Hologic Inc: Fortifying Market Position Through Innovation & Strategic Acquisitions! – Major Drivers
  • Bio-Techne Corporation: A Tale Of Resilience Amid Economic Challenges! – Major Drivers
  • Broadridge Financial Solutions: Closed Sales Outlook & Changing Demand Environment – Will They Adapt? – Major Drivers


Why This AI Bull Is Nothing Like the NASDAQ in 2000

By Cam Hui

  • We believe the current AI-driven rally has a long way to run. Market mania tops are characterized by excessive froth, which is not in evidence today.
  • In the short run, price momentum in technology stocks is faltering, and these stocks can pull back at any time.
  • We would regard any pullback in these stocks as a buying opportunity.

Cardinal Health: Expanding Acquisitions Portfolio With Specialty Networks & Other Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Cardinal Health has recently announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2024.
  • CEO Jason Hollar and CFO Aaron Alt expressed satisfaction with the progress the company has made, demonstrating strong profit growth in both segments and expected growth for 7% to 9% in segment profit for fiscal 2024.
  • Cardinal Health’s acquisition of Specialty Networks is seen as a key step in enhancing the company’s specialty growth strategy.

WestRock Company: Strategic Investments for Growth-Oriented Opportunities & Other Major Factors Driving Growth! – Financial Forecasts

By Baptista Research

  • Based on the third fiscal quarter 2023 earnings, it becomes clear that WestRock is focused on improving business outcomes and delivering value to shareholders even in a challenging market environment.
  • Net sales for the quarter stood at $5.1 billion, with consolidated adjusted EBITDA at $802 million.
  • The company exceeded its guidance owing to strong execution, productivity gains, and moderating input costs.

Exxon Mobil Corporation: Solid Shale Operations Growth & Other Factors Driving Growth! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Exxon Mobil Corporation concluded its fourth quarter of 2023 with strong results, emphasizing the execution excellence of its business units throughout the year.
  • These results were primarily driven by the company’s commitment to its employees’ operation and safety standards alongside significant strides in project building, technology deployment, supply-chain management, and trading.
  • Baptista Research looks to evaluate the different factors that could influence the company’s price in the near future and attempts to carry out an independent valuation of the company using a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methodology.

Hawaiian Electric Co (HE1) – Sunday, Nov 12, 2023

By Value Investors Club

Key points (machine generated)

  • Hawaiian Electric is facing potential bankruptcy due to fire liabilities and the need for expensive investments to fire-harden their assets.
  • The estimated fire claims exceed the utility’s worth, with total claims including debt exceeding $4.9-7.4 billion.
  • Unless the claims are significantly lower, it is unlikely that there will be any equity value for the utility, and the stock price is expected to be negatively impacted.

This article is sourced from an online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.


International Paper Company: Commercial initiatives And Strategic Investments

By Baptista Research

  • International Paper Company’s financial performance for the fourth quarter of 2023 was largely influenced by challenging market conditions.
  • Demand for the company’s products was notably lower throughout the bulk of the year.
  • This change in demand was driven by consumers choosing to focus their spending on services and essential goods.

Weave Communicati Inc (WEAV) – Sunday, Nov 12, 2023

By Value Investors Club

Key points (machine generated)

  • Weave Communications is a SaaS business that offers communications software for specific vertical markets like dentists, veterinarians, optometrists, and small medical practices.
  • The company has shown impressive growth at a rate of 20% and is on the precipice of becoming profitable.
  • Weave is currently undervalued, trading at only 2x sales, despite its promising performance and potential for profitability. 

This article is sourced from an online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.


Hologic Inc: Fortifying Market Position Through Innovation & Strategic Acquisitions! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Hologic reported its fiscal Q1 2024 results, demonstrating strong financial performance with total revenue reaching $1.01 billion, above the high end of the company’s guidance.
  • In spite of four fewer selling days than in Q1 2023, the firm achieved total organic revenue growth, excluding COVID-19, of 5.2%.
  • When adjusted for the fewer selling days, estimated total company organic revenue growth excluding COVID-19 was in the high single digits.

Bio-Techne Corporation: A Tale Of Resilience Amid Economic Challenges! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Bio-Techne, amidst challenging macroeconomic conditions, reported an organic revenue decline of 2% for the second quarter of the fiscal year 2024.
  • The healthcare company’s earnings were impacted by various headwinds including a cautious biopharma spending environment, a tougher macroeconomic climate in China, and lowered demand from OEM customers.
  • Bio-Techne’s core portfolio, however, continued to drive the company’s long-term growth potential with a 7% average growth rate over the last decade.

Broadridge Financial Solutions: Closed Sales Outlook & Changing Demand Environment – Will They Adapt? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • The latest earnings call transcript for Broadridge Financial Solutions reveals steady growth and a positive fiscal year outlook.
  • Broadridge achieved impressive Q2 results, with healthy organic growth across both segments aligning with their long-term goals.
  • Strong fund position growth and mid-single-digit equity position growth contributed to their financial performance.

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Daily Brief Macro: Fed Policy Outlook: Higher for Longer Proves More Durable Than Expected and more

By | Daily Briefs, Macro

In today’s briefing:

  • Fed Policy Outlook: Higher for Longer Proves More Durable Than Expected, but US Equities Don’t Care
  • How Investable Is China (Revisited)
  • Bubbles & AntiBubbles


Fed Policy Outlook: Higher for Longer Proves More Durable Than Expected, but US Equities Don’t Care

By Said Desaque

  • The US economy is displaying signs of re-acceleration, thereby delaying any possible return to below-trend growth.  Fed Chairman Powell has reminded investors that monetary policy conduct remains data dependent. 
  • Stronger economic growth will positively impact corporate profit expectations and US equities. Valuations are priced to perfection versus inflation. Prematurely lowering interest rates could provoke an equity market valuation bubble.
  • Labour market weakness is required for the Fed to invoke easier policy.  The Fed closed opportunities for banks to engage in interest rate arbitrage via the Bank Term Funding Programme.

How Investable Is China (Revisited)

By Cam Hui

  • We reiterate our view that long-term investors in China are likely to face subpar returns coupled with high volatility.
  • China hasn’t even tried to reverse the imbalances from long-standing past economic policies.
  • Real-Time market signals indicate further weakness in China, which investors should avoid. In the short run, the Chinese stock market looks washed out.

Bubbles & AntiBubbles

By Alfonso Peccatiello (Alf)

  • Keynes once said that markets can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent.
  • I love this quote because it speaks about the power of narratives, and my own humble readaption of that would be:‘‘Narratives can dominate macro longer than you can remain solvent’’.
  • This is why today we are going to cover the two strongest narratives out there: China is doomed; AI is the new revolution and US tech will dominate forever.

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Daily Brief Event-Driven: Roland DG (6789) – Tender Offer by Taiyo Partners – Nice Premium But Too Cheap and more

By | Daily Briefs, Event-Driven

In today’s briefing:

  • Roland DG (6789) – Tender Offer by Taiyo Partners – Nice Premium But Too Cheap
  • Screen Holdings (7735 JP): Positioning & Potential Passive Buying
  • Weekly Deals Digest (11 Feb) – Lawson, Benefit One, Welbe, China TCM, L’Occitane, Hollysys
  • Welbe (6556 JP) – MBO by Polaris
  • Exploring Prioritized Buyback/Cancellation of Samsung Electronics & Hyundai Motor Prefs
  • Magyar Vagon/Talgo: Looming Takeover Offer


Roland DG (6789) – Tender Offer by Taiyo Partners – Nice Premium But Too Cheap

By Travis Lundy

  • Taiyo Pacific Partners took the original parent company (Roland Corp (7944 JP) of Roland DG Corp (6789 JP) private in 2014. It was re-listed in 2020. 
  • Roland DG is one of the world’s leading large format digital printer manufacturers. They also make some interesting medical devices and systemic tools, and 3D milling/printing/engraving/photo impact machines.
  • This TOB is at a 30.1% premium. Almost a 10yr high. But it is not expensive. And even if TPP has 20%, there is a LOT of float left over.

Screen Holdings (7735 JP): Positioning & Potential Passive Buying

By Brian Freitas

  • SCREEN Holdings (7735 JP) could be added to a global index at the end of the month and there will be a lot of buying in the stock.
  • There is a fair bit of positioning for the potential passive buying and there will be supply in the stock.
  • However, the stock trades cheaper than its peers and a correction could provide an opportunity for long-term investors to enter the stock.

Weekly Deals Digest (11 Feb) – Lawson, Benefit One, Welbe, China TCM, L’Occitane, Hollysys

By Arun George


Welbe (6556 JP) – MBO by Polaris

By Travis Lundy

  • On Thursday after the close, an entity tied to Polaris Capital announced an MBO of Welbe Inc (6556 JP). (Note this is Welbe not Welby Inc (4438 JP)). 
  • The MBO by Tender Offer is set at ¥1,089/share is at a 29.952% premium to Thursday’s last trade. Coincidentally. It is well below where it traded 3-5 years ago.
  • If large domestic financial investors want a bump, we might see some fun, but I expect there is enough ownership willing to tender to get this over the hump.

Exploring Prioritized Buyback/Cancellation of Samsung Electronics & Hyundai Motor Prefs

By Sanghyun Park

  • Samsung Elec & Hyundai Motor’s high proportion of preferred stocks leads to their unusually high cost of capital, making themselves prime targets for the govt’s Corporate Value Up policy.
  • Policy likely focuses on aggressive share buybacks, especially preferred stock repurchase, to improve PBR. Pension funds may invest heavily in ETFs, offsetting dilution effects.
  • Hyundai Motor may pursue more aggressive shareholder returns due to the India listing, possibly prioritizing preferred share repurchases as it introduces risks of value transfer controversies within Korea.

Magyar Vagon/Talgo: Looming Takeover Offer

By Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

  • Trading in the shares of Spanish rolling stock manufacturer Talgo SA (TLGO SM) is suspended pending a possible €5/share takeover offer from Hungarian group Magyar Vagon.
  • Stock market performance of Talgo has been lacklustre. Now, at €4.79, the shares are trading above comparables, in line with my fair value estimate (DCF-based) of €4.76/share. 
  • Top investors (>45%) seem very willing to cash in and I would imagine that Magyar Vagon has had the time to seek green light assurances from the Spanish Government. Long.

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Daily Brief Equity Bottom-Up: Cardinal Health: Expanding Acquisitions Portfolio With Specialty Networks & Other Major Drivers and more

By | Daily Briefs, Equity Bottom-Up

In today’s briefing:

  • Cardinal Health: Expanding Acquisitions Portfolio With Specialty Networks & Other Major Drivers
  • International Paper Company: Commercial initiatives And Strategic Investments
  • Exxon Mobil Corporation: Solid Shale Operations Growth & Other Factors Driving Growth! – Major Drivers
  • Hawaiian Electric Co (HE1) – Sunday, Nov 12, 2023
  • WestRock Company: Strategic Investments for Growth-Oriented Opportunities & Other Major Factors Driving Growth! – Financial Forecasts
  • Zydus Lifesciences (ZYDUSLIF IN): Strong India Momentum; Q3 Net Profit Jumps 27%; Buyback Approved
  • Southern Copper Corporation: Shift in Copper Market Dynamics & How The Company Is Adapting! – Major Drivers
  • Stanley Black & Decker: Cost Savings Through Supply Chain Transformation & Other Major Drivers
  • The Clorox Company: A Genius Strategy to Crush Digital Transformation and Improve Sales! – Major Drivers
  • Weave Communicati Inc (WEAV) – Sunday, Nov 12, 2023


Cardinal Health: Expanding Acquisitions Portfolio With Specialty Networks & Other Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Cardinal Health has recently announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2024.
  • CEO Jason Hollar and CFO Aaron Alt expressed satisfaction with the progress the company has made, demonstrating strong profit growth in both segments and expected growth for 7% to 9% in segment profit for fiscal 2024.
  • Cardinal Health’s acquisition of Specialty Networks is seen as a key step in enhancing the company’s specialty growth strategy.

International Paper Company: Commercial initiatives And Strategic Investments

By Baptista Research

  • International Paper Company’s financial performance for the fourth quarter of 2023 was largely influenced by challenging market conditions.
  • Demand for the company’s products was notably lower throughout the bulk of the year.
  • This change in demand was driven by consumers choosing to focus their spending on services and essential goods.

Exxon Mobil Corporation: Solid Shale Operations Growth & Other Factors Driving Growth! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Exxon Mobil Corporation concluded its fourth quarter of 2023 with strong results, emphasizing the execution excellence of its business units throughout the year.
  • These results were primarily driven by the company’s commitment to its employees’ operation and safety standards alongside significant strides in project building, technology deployment, supply-chain management, and trading.
  • Baptista Research looks to evaluate the different factors that could influence the company’s price in the near future and attempts to carry out an independent valuation of the company using a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methodology.

Hawaiian Electric Co (HE1) – Sunday, Nov 12, 2023

By Value Investors Club

Key points (machine generated)

  • Hawaiian Electric is facing potential bankruptcy due to fire liabilities and the need for expensive investments to fire-harden their assets.
  • The estimated fire claims exceed the utility’s worth, with total claims including debt exceeding $4.9-7.4 billion.
  • Unless the claims are significantly lower, it is unlikely that there will be any equity value for the utility, and the stock price is expected to be negatively impacted.

This article is sourced from an online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.


WestRock Company: Strategic Investments for Growth-Oriented Opportunities & Other Major Factors Driving Growth! – Financial Forecasts

By Baptista Research

  • Based on the third fiscal quarter 2023 earnings, it becomes clear that WestRock is focused on improving business outcomes and delivering value to shareholders even in a challenging market environment.
  • Net sales for the quarter stood at $5.1 billion, with consolidated adjusted EBITDA at $802 million.
  • The company exceeded its guidance owing to strong execution, productivity gains, and moderating input costs.

Zydus Lifesciences (ZYDUSLIF IN): Strong India Momentum; Q3 Net Profit Jumps 27%; Buyback Approved

By Tina Banerjee

  • Zydus Lifesciences Ltd (ZYDUSLIF IN) reported 16% YoY and 7% QoQ growth in India formulation business revenue in Q3FY24 on the back of healthy volume growth and new product launches.
  • Profitability improvement continued, with Q3FY24 improving 200 basis points YoY to 24.5%. Net profit surged 27% YoY.
  • The Board approved INR6 billion buyback, representing 0.59% of total outstanding equity shares at a price of INR1005 per share (25% premium to last closing price) via tender offer route.

Southern Copper Corporation: Shift in Copper Market Dynamics & How The Company Is Adapting! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Southern Copper Corporation’s earnings centered around its 2023 results and offered insight into the company’s financial outlook.
  • The company reported net sales of $9,896 million in 2023, which was lower by 1.5% compared to 2022.
  • Despite the reduction, the company considers the results satisfactory, owing to higher sales volumes for copper and molybdenum, as well as better prices for molybdenum and silver.

Stanley Black & Decker: Cost Savings Through Supply Chain Transformation & Other Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Stanley Black & Decker Management has expressed an optimistic outlook on their financial performance for the year 2024.
  • Despite facing challenging market conditions during 2023, the company demonstrated solid performance, with significant progress in two of their most important focus areas—generating above $850 million free cash flow and the continuous improvement of adjusted gross margin through each quarter.
  • Baptista Research looks to evaluate the different factors that could influence the company’s price in the near future and attempts to carry out an independent valuation of the company using a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methodology.

The Clorox Company: A Genius Strategy to Crush Digital Transformation and Improve Sales! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • The Clorox Company delivered second-quarter financial results for 2024 that exceeded expectations, driven largely by a strong recovery from a cyber attack that occurred in August.
  • The company preserved its strong brand superiority by advancing its strategies to drive top line growth and rebuild margins, as well as actively managing currency headwinds in Argentina.
  • Retailer inventories are being refreshed more quickly than anticipated, which is aiding the restoration of distribution and improvement of market shares.

Weave Communicati Inc (WEAV) – Sunday, Nov 12, 2023

By Value Investors Club

Key points (machine generated)

  • Weave Communications is a SaaS business that offers communications software for specific vertical markets like dentists, veterinarians, optometrists, and small medical practices.
  • The company has shown impressive growth at a rate of 20% and is on the precipice of becoming profitable.
  • Weave is currently undervalued, trading at only 2x sales, despite its promising performance and potential for profitability. 

This article is sourced from an online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.


💡 Before it’s here, it’s on Smartkarma

Sign Up for Free

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Daily Brief Japan: Roland DG Corp, SCREEN Holdings, Lawson Inc, Welbe Inc, Nissan Motor, TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • Roland DG (6789) – Tender Offer by Taiyo Partners – Nice Premium But Too Cheap
  • Screen Holdings (7735 JP): Positioning & Potential Passive Buying
  • Weekly Deals Digest (11 Feb) – Lawson, Benefit One, Welbe, China TCM, L’Occitane, Hollysys
  • Welbe (6556 JP) – MBO by Polaris
  • ECM Weekly (12th Feb 2024) – Nissan/Renault, Metcash, Digital Core, SBFC, Thai Credit, Park Hotel
  • Investors Are Valuing Equities Thinking that Managers Are Still Slow to Put Cash to Good Use?


Roland DG (6789) – Tender Offer by Taiyo Partners – Nice Premium But Too Cheap

By Travis Lundy

  • Taiyo Pacific Partners took the original parent company (Roland Corp (7944 JP) of Roland DG Corp (6789 JP) private in 2014. It was re-listed in 2020. 
  • Roland DG is one of the world’s leading large format digital printer manufacturers. They also make some interesting medical devices and systemic tools, and 3D milling/printing/engraving/photo impact machines.
  • This TOB is at a 30.1% premium. Almost a 10yr high. But it is not expensive. And even if TPP has 20%, there is a LOT of float left over.

Screen Holdings (7735 JP): Positioning & Potential Passive Buying

By Brian Freitas

  • SCREEN Holdings (7735 JP) could be added to a global index at the end of the month and there will be a lot of buying in the stock.
  • There is a fair bit of positioning for the potential passive buying and there will be supply in the stock.
  • However, the stock trades cheaper than its peers and a correction could provide an opportunity for long-term investors to enter the stock.

Weekly Deals Digest (11 Feb) – Lawson, Benefit One, Welbe, China TCM, L’Occitane, Hollysys

By Arun George


Welbe (6556 JP) – MBO by Polaris

By Travis Lundy

  • On Thursday after the close, an entity tied to Polaris Capital announced an MBO of Welbe Inc (6556 JP). (Note this is Welbe not Welby Inc (4438 JP)). 
  • The MBO by Tender Offer is set at ¥1,089/share is at a 29.952% premium to Thursday’s last trade. Coincidentally. It is well below where it traded 3-5 years ago.
  • If large domestic financial investors want a bump, we might see some fun, but I expect there is enough ownership willing to tender to get this over the hump.

ECM Weekly (12th Feb 2024) – Nissan/Renault, Metcash, Digital Core, SBFC, Thai Credit, Park Hotel

By Sumeet Singh

  • Aequitas Research puts out a weekly update on the deals that were covered by the team recently along with updates for upcoming IPOs.
  • On the IPO front, Thai Credit Bank finally ended Thailand’s long dry spell, although it wasn’t a happy ending.
  • For placements, REITs appear to be coming back to life with rates now having peaked.

Investors Are Valuing Equities Thinking that Managers Are Still Slow to Put Cash to Good Use?

By Aki Matsumoto

  • EPS and BPS had run in parallel since June 2022, but BPS has accelerated at a more rapid pace since May 2023, and TOPIX has risen sharply since April 2023.
  • Since TOPIX is more correlated with BPS than EPS, the hypothesis that “stock prices are more reliant on BPS increases, including cash increases, than on EPS” would be considered.
  • Investors may believe that Japanese management still needs more time to use cash effectively, and evaluate companies based on their BPS, which indicates a movement toward improved cash flow.

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Daily Brief India: Zydus Lifesciences Ltd and more

By | Daily Briefs, India

In today’s briefing:

  • Zydus Lifesciences (ZYDUSLIF IN): Strong India Momentum; Q3 Net Profit Jumps 27%; Buyback Approved


Zydus Lifesciences (ZYDUSLIF IN): Strong India Momentum; Q3 Net Profit Jumps 27%; Buyback Approved

By Tina Banerjee

  • Zydus Lifesciences Ltd (ZYDUSLIF IN) reported 16% YoY and 7% QoQ growth in India formulation business revenue in Q3FY24 on the back of healthy volume growth and new product launches.
  • Profitability improvement continued, with Q3FY24 improving 200 basis points YoY to 24.5%. Net profit surged 27% YoY.
  • The Board approved INR6 billion buyback, representing 0.59% of total outstanding equity shares at a price of INR1005 per share (25% premium to last closing price) via tender offer route.

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Daily Brief TMT/Internet: Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), Infosys Ltd, Microchip Technology, SiteMinder, Meta Platforms (Facebook), PTC Inc, Qorvo Inc, Apple , Amazon.com Inc and more

By | Daily Briefs, TMT/Internet

In today’s briefing:

  • China Semi Foundry: Fierce Competition & Sluggish Rebound In Year Of The Dragon
  • Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: STAR100, NEXT50, LowVol30, KOSPI200, TW50, NWD, ITC, India Float
  • Microchip Technology: How Their Latest Innovations Are Set to Dominate the Market! – Major Drivers
  • Quiddity Leaderboard ASX Mar 24: Five ASX 200 Changes Possible Including One Surprise
  • Meta Platforms: A Spectacular End To 2023 But What Are The Bumps Ahead On The Road In 2024? – Major Drivers
  • PTC Inc: Can The ServiceMax Acquisition Be A Game Changer? – Major Drivers
  • Qorvo Inc: New Strategic Partnerships & Other Major Growth Drivers
  • Apple Inc.: An Impressive 2024 Lineup But What Does It Mean For Shareholders? – Major Drivers
  • Amazon.com Inc: Increased Efforts to Improve Cost Efficiency and Innovation & 5 Other Strategies For 2024! – Financial Forecasts


China Semi Foundry: Fierce Competition & Sluggish Rebound In Year Of The Dragon

By William Keating

  • Both SMIC & Hua Hong reported Q423 earnings in line with expectations and both guided Q124 flat to slightly down. SMIC expects FY24 mid single digit growth YoY.
  • The downturn has exposed inherent weakness in China’s Semi Foundry segment relative to peers as exemplified by the significant GM disparity
  • China’s two leading semi foundries have ~80% domestic dependence. Right now, that’s a headwind

Index Rebalance & ETF Flow Recap: STAR100, NEXT50, LowVol30, KOSPI200, TW50, NWD, ITC, India Float

By Brian Freitas

  • There will be a bunch of rebalance announcements towards the start and at the end of the coming week. This includes the HSI, HSCEI, HSTECH, HSCI, HSIII and global indices.
  • The review period for the March rebalance of the S&P/ASX 200 and related indices ends on 16 February. The announcement of the changes will come couple of weeks later.
  • There were HUGE inflows to mainland China ETFs for yet another week as Central Huijin indicated that they would continue to buy/create ETFs units.

Microchip Technology: How Their Latest Innovations Are Set to Dominate the Market! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Microchip Technology, a leading provider of microcontroller and analogue semiconductors, reported its third quarter 2024 financial results which were below expectations as net sales dropped 21.7% sequentially and 18.6% year-over-year due to increased business uncertainty, slowing economic activity, and higher inventory levels among customers.
  • Despite a challenging environment, the company’s non-GAAP gross and operating margins showed some resilience at 63.8% and 41.2% respectively.
  • Baptista Research looks to evaluate the different factors that could influence the company’s price in the near future and attempts to carry out an independent valuation of the company using a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methodology.

Quiddity Leaderboard ASX Mar 24: Five ASX 200 Changes Possible Including One Surprise

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • In this insight, we take a look at the potential index changes for ASX 300, 200, 100, 50, and 20 in the run-up to the March 2024 index review.
  • I expect one change for ASX 20, one change for ASX 100, and five changes for ASX 200 including a surprise deletion due to long term suspension of a stock.
  • The official index changes will be announced after the close on Friday 1st March 2024.

Meta Platforms: A Spectacular End To 2023 But What Are The Bumps Ahead On The Road In 2024? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Meta delivered a spectacular Q4 FY 2023 Earnings and the company has managed to achieve substantial growth in the past year.
  • With more than 3.1 billion users engaging with at least one of Meta’s applications daily, the immense usage indicates the key role that the company plays in shaping online social interactions and connectivity globally.
  • A notable highlight of Meta’s 2023 performance was its increased revenue growth, showing remarkable financial strength.

PTC Inc: Can The ServiceMax Acquisition Be A Game Changer? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • The Q1 results of PTC were promising, marking a good start to fiscal 2024.
  • The firm demonstrated robust financial results and the smooth execution of the CEO succession process.
  • The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Jim Heppelmann, expressed his confidence in the incoming CEO, Neil Barua, who has shown a deep understanding of the PTC business model and possesses the complete trust of the executive team.

Qorvo Inc: New Strategic Partnerships & Other Major Growth Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Qorvo, the American semiconductor company, in its Q3 earnings call of fiscal 2024, discussed its financial performance and future outlook.
  • Even during challenging times, the company delivered improved financial results.
  • Qorvo demonstrated resilience through robust sales figures and significant income for the period.

Apple Inc.: An Impressive 2024 Lineup But What Does It Mean For Shareholders? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • According to the latest Q1 earnings, Apple Inc.
  • showcased an upward trajectory with revenue reaching $119.6 billion for the December quarter – a 2% increase from a year ago.
  • The electronics giant reached revenue records in more than two dozen countries and regions, with substantial growth in many emerging markets.

Amazon.com Inc: Increased Efforts to Improve Cost Efficiency and Innovation & 5 Other Strategies For 2024! – Financial Forecasts

By Baptista Research

  • Amazon.com reported bullish Q4 2023 financial results.
  • Revenue stood at $170 billion, indicating an upsurge of 13% year-over-year, barring the impact of foreign exchange rates.
  • Operating income hiked up to $13.2 billion, showing a YoY growth of 383% or a surge of $10.5 billion.

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Daily Brief Industrials: Benefit One Inc, Honeywell International, Parker Hannifin, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Fortive , Rockwell Automation and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • (Mostly) Asia-Pac Weekly Risk Arb Wrap: Silver Lake, Ssangyong Cement, Vinda, Benefit One, Hollysys
  • Honeywell International – Heavy Investment in Aerospace & Other Futuristic Strategies Propelling Them Forward! – Major Drivers
  • Parker-Hannifin Corporation: Increased Global Frontline Performance & Improved Margins Saving The Day? – Major Drivers
  • C.H. Robinson Worldwide – Efforts Towards Cost Reduction For Offsetting Inflation Bearing Fruit? – Major Drivers
  • Fortive Corporation: Excellent Potential for Portfolio Durability through M&A! – Major Drivers
  • Rockwell Automation: Strong End-Market Demand & 5 Other Factors Driving Its Growth! – Financial Forecasts


(Mostly) Asia-Pac Weekly Risk Arb Wrap: Silver Lake, Ssangyong Cement, Vinda, Benefit One, Hollysys

By David Blennerhassett


Honeywell International – Heavy Investment in Aerospace & Other Futuristic Strategies Propelling Them Forward! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • The fourth quarter 2023 earnings for Honeywell International took place in a dynamic backdrop; the company delivered on its 2023 commitments despite this.
  • Honeywell’s Accelerator operating system and differentiated technologies allowed it to meet the full year guidance for organic growth, adjusted earnings per share, and free cash flow.
  • As a result of leadership changes, Vimal Kapur, CEO, has been elected to additionally serve as Chairman, starting from June after the current Executive Chairman, Darius Adamczyk, retires.

Parker-Hannifin Corporation: Increased Global Frontline Performance & Improved Margins Saving The Day? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • With respect to Parker-Hannifin’s latest earnings, a few distinctive factors paint a broad picture of the company’s current status and future prospects.
  • With record sales of $4.8 billion in Q2, a 3% progression from the previous year, the company has expressed confidence in sustaining incrementals of over 100% and expanding upon the adjusted segment operating margin which stood at a record 24.5%, marking a 3% increase on a year-to-year basis.
  • This strong performance has primarily been driven by their Aerospace Systems, while both Industrial Silos also made valuable contributions.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide – Efforts Towards Cost Reduction For Offsetting Inflation Bearing Fruit? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • C.H. Robinson delivered mixed quarter four results for 2023 with gross profits of $618.6 million, down by 20% YoY due to a difficult freight market according to the company.
  • Total revenue was also down to $4.2 billion.
  • In terms of productivity initiatives, some improvements were made with a 17% improvement in North American Surface Transportation (NAST) and a 20% improvement in Global Forwarding.

Fortive Corporation: Excellent Potential for Portfolio Durability through M&A! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • In the Q4 and full year 2023 earnings call of Fortive Corporation, executives reported that Fortive delivered strong operational performance throughout 2023, displaying consistent performance amid a mixed macroeconomic environment.
  • Its adjusted operating margins approached 26%, a record high, pointing to the company’s resilience and successful execution of strategic planning.
  • Fortive also saw significant capital deployment across its segments.

Rockwell Automation: Strong End-Market Demand & 5 Other Factors Driving Its Growth! – Financial Forecasts

By Baptista Research

  • In the Rockwell Automation results, it’s important to start by appreciating that the company registered first quarter growth, even amidst the challenging economic landscape.
  • Rockwell Automation registered a 3.6% year-over-year increase in total sales led by North America.
  • This performance is attributable partly to the company’s broad business portfolio which has helped spread risk.

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Daily Brief Energy/Materials: Crude Oil, Royal Dutch Shell Plc (Adr) and more

By | Daily Briefs, Energy & Materials Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • EIA Forecasts Crude Oil Prices to Fall in 2025 Due to Weak Demand Growth
  • Shell PLC – Is Their Intensive Focus on Cost Reduction to Enhance Profitability Working Out? – Major Drivers


EIA Forecasts Crude Oil Prices to Fall in 2025 Due to Weak Demand Growth

By Suhas Reddy

  • EIA forecasts oil prices to gain during the first half of 2024 due to the Red Sea conflict and inventory withdrawals.
  • Downward pressure from lukewarm oil demand and oversupply to keep prices low in 2025.
  • US commercial crude oil inventories grew by 1.3% on a weekly basis but are 4% below the five year average for this time of year.

Shell PLC – Is Their Intensive Focus on Cost Reduction to Enhance Profitability Working Out? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Royal Dutch Shell’s Q4 and full year 2023 financial results demonstrated strong performance despite external uncertainties and volatility.
  • The company reported the second-highest cash flow from operations in its history.
  • However, Shell’s personal safety results were slightly lower than in 2022, and teams are focused on improvement in 2024.

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