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Smartkarma Daily Briefs

Daily Brief United States: Digital Turbine, Oracle Corp, Gaia, HNI Corp, Zebra Technologies Corp, Meta Materials, NOW Inc, Perpetua Resources Corp, Guidewire Software, Arlo Technologies Inc and more

By | Daily Briefs, United States

In today’s briefing:

  • Digital Turbine: A Pivot Is In Sight
  • The Oracle Playbook Goes Mainstream
  • Company Appears to Be Back in Growth Mode in 2023 After a Challenging 2022
  • HNI Announces Acquisition of Kimball International; Focus on Strategic and Cultural Alignment
  • Zebra Technologies: Improved Offerings For Industrial Automation & Other Drivers
  • Working to Make Batteries Safer and More Efficient
  • Transformed Fulfillment Model Driving Results
  • Perpetua Resources Corp (PPTA) Update Note Filling the US Critical Minerals Supply Gap 08032023
  • Guidewire Software: Major Drivers
  • ARLO: Profitability Back in View

Digital Turbine: A Pivot Is In Sight

By Pearl Gray Equity and Research

  • Digital Turbine, Inc.’s misfortunes are about to pivot, providing ad spending reverts to its average growth trajectory.
  • The company has a novel business model, and constant expansion by integrating growth ideas such as a Shopify-esque platform could yield substantial financial benefits, according to the company.
  • Digital Turbine, Inc. (NASDAQ:APPS) stock has suffered from a trying time during the past year, conveyed by its more than 70% year-over-year drawdown.

The Oracle Playbook Goes Mainstream

By Vladimir Dimitrov, CFA

  • Oracle’s strategy is being acknowledged by one of its major peers – Salesforce.
  • Oracle does not appear among the top three cloud infrastructure players, but it doesn’t need to.
  • Oracle is expected to deliver another strong quarter, investors should remain focused on the long-term positioning of the business.

Company Appears to Be Back in Growth Mode in 2023 After a Challenging 2022

By Water Tower Research

  • Gaia reported 4Q22 revenues of $19.6 million versus $20.8 million in 4Q21, and 2022 revenues of $82.0 million versus $79.6 million in 2021.
  • Given the small Yoga International acquisition in December 2021, this implies some revenue contraction in the core business for 2022.
  • Despite the top-line challenge, net income was slightly positive for the year after adjusting for one-time legal fees and the anticipated SEC settlement accrual, which confirms the resilience of Gaia’s financial model.

HNI Announces Acquisition of Kimball International; Focus on Strategic and Cultural Alignment

By Water Tower Research

  • Before market open on March 8, HNI announced the acquisition of Kimball International (NASDAQ: KBAL), a smaller competitor of HNI’s Workplace Furnishings segment.
  • HNI will pay about $485 million, consisting of cash ($9/KBAL share), stock (0.1301 HNI/KBAL share), and ~$46 million in KBAL net debt.
  • We see the deal as an excellent fit on strategic and cultural levels. 

Zebra Technologies: Improved Offerings For Industrial Automation & Other Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Zebra Technologies had a strong finish to the year, with profitability and sales near the high end of the outlook of the company and an all-around beat in the fourth quarter.
  • Latin America sales increased with strong growth in Mexico and Brazil.
  • However, due to an uncertain microenvironment, Zebra Technologies continue to see elongated sales cycles and softening of demand.

Working to Make Batteries Safer and More Efficient

By Water Tower Research

  • Multiple solutions for the growing problem of battery safety. 
  • META is developing two technologies that can make lithium-ion batteries safer and reduce material needs to lower weight and increase range.
  • We highlight META’s NPORE® and NCORE™ technologies on the following pages.

Transformed Fulfillment Model Driving Results

By Water Tower Research

  • DistributionNOW is reaping the rewards of the steps management began taking a couple of years ago to transform its fulfillment model.
  • A client-focused global technical sales force aims to make DistributionNOW a strategic partner with customers to help them manage their energy supply chain.
  • The fulfillment model, if built around Supercenters, combines multiple business lines into a single location, making it easier to work with both suppliers and customers.

Perpetua Resources Corp (PPTA) Update Note Filling the US Critical Minerals Supply Gap 08032023

By ACF Equity Research

  • Perpetua Resources Corp. (Nasdaq: PPTA; TSX: PPTA) is an Idaho based (Stibnite jurisdiction), gold-antimony-silver (Au-Sb-Ag) junior explorer/producer.   
  • ACF is releasing a aluation increase for PPTA based on milestones achieved since our initiation note. ACF identifies PPTA as a US national strategic asset (Sb) and best-in-class gold asset. 
  • PPTA is an ESG leader amongst junior miners. PPTA holds a unique antimony (Sb) reserve in the US and is positioned to be the only domestically mined source of Sb.

Guidewire Software: Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Guidewire Software is delivered a mixed set of results in the recent quarter with revenues above Wall Street expectations.
  • Both ARR and subscription revenue and particularly subscription and support gross margin, finished ahead of the expectations of the management.
  • In the quarter, Guidewire Software executed several new InsuranceSuite production deployments on the Guidewire Cloud Platform, including DEFINITY Insurance.

ARLO: Profitability Back in View

By Hamed Khorsand

  • ARLO initiated a new marketing strategy based on price and it seems consumers have responded well in an otherwise tough market backdrop.
  • The sell through led to ARLO growing the number of paid subscribers more than we were expecting, and on pace to surpass 2 million paid subscribers in first quarter 2023
  • The revenue achieved in the fourth quarter was approximately $3 million higher than the top end of the guidance range ARLO had previously provided

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Daily Brief Singapore: Sea Ltd, Sabana Industrial REIT and more

By | Daily Briefs, Singapore

In today’s briefing:

  • Sea Ltd’s (SE US) – Through the Looking Glass
  • Sea Ltd 4Q22 Results: Can Profits Hold When Growth Stall?
  • Sabana REIT (SSREIT SP): Volare’s Partial Offer Unconditional
  • [Sea Limited (SE US) Target Price Change]: Expect Weak Growth Trend into 2023

Sea Ltd’s (SE US) – Through the Looking Glass

By Angus Mackintosh

  • Sea Ltd’s 4Q2022 results were nothing short of spectacular, with the company booking a net profit more than a year ahead of expectations, underlining management’s ability to thrive in adversity.
  • The company cut costs and most notably A&P spend on e-commerce but it still managed to grow GMV and booked positive adjust EBITDA for all its core Asian markets.  
  • Sea Ltd (SE US) now stands out well ahead of its peers on profitability and should trade at a premium but it will have to continue to execute.

Sea Ltd 4Q22 Results: Can Profits Hold When Growth Stall?

By Oshadhi Kumarasiri

  • Sea Ltd (SE US) shares went up by 22% yesterday as the company’s top-line beat consensus by 13% and recorded its first-ever operating profit of $342.9m (consensus: -$344m).
  • Main growth drivers such as GMV, orders, Gaming active users and Gross-Bookings indicate that growth could stall. Meanwhile, competition is heating up, sidelining the importance of cost discipline in e-commerce.
  • Turning unprofitable yet-again could be a hard thing to swallow, even for those firmly believing in Shopee. Therefore, Sea could fall a lot more than the previous-bottom next-time it falls.

Sabana REIT (SSREIT SP): Volare’s Partial Offer Unconditional

By Arun George

  • Sabana Industrial REIT (SSREIT SP)’s partial offer from Volare of S$0.4504 per unit (S$0.465 in cash – S$0.0146 2H2022 distribution) is now unconditional. The final closing date is 24 March.
  • On the assumption that ESR Cayman and Quarz Capital did not tender, acceptances representing 16.16% of outstanding units imply current proration is 61.87%.
  • Based on the current proration of 61.87% and at the last close price of S$0.420 per unit, the breakeven price is S$0.373 per unit.

[Sea Limited (SE US) Target Price Change]: Expect Weak Growth Trend into 2023

By Shawn Yang

  • SE reported C4Q22 total revenue 10% and 14% higher than our est. and cons., thanks to the improvement in monetization rate of eCommerce segment. 
  • We expect the weak trend to continue into 2023, with intensified competition from eCommerce competitors and weak performance of Free Fire.
  • We raise our TP to US$62, which implies 2.5X PS/6X PE/4X PS for eCommerce/gaming/fintech in 2023. Maintain SELL rating due to challenging growth outlook. 

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Daily Brief China: Link REIT, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, JD Health, Shum Yip Property Operations Group, Lenovo, DPC Dash, Seazen (Formerly Future Land) and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Link REIT (823) – Nil Paid Rights Start Trading Tomorrow – The Trades
  • HSCEI Dividend Futures: Fair Value Estimates as Result Season Looms
  • JD Health (6618.HK) – It’s Time to Reassess the Business Prospects and Valuation
  • Shum Yip Property Operations Group Pre-IPO Tearsheet
  • Hong Kong CEO & Director Dealings (9 Mar): Lenovo, CLP Holdings, GoFintech, North Asia Strategic
  • DPC Dash Pre-IPO – Refiled PHIP Updates – Growth Picking up Again
  • Morning Views Asia: China SCE, Greentown China, Lippo Malls Indonesia Retail Trust

Link REIT (823) – Nil Paid Rights Start Trading Tomorrow – The Trades

By Travis Lundy

  • In early February, Link REIT (823 HK) announced it would do a 1 for 5 rights offering, with the Exercise Price well below TERP.
  • The REIT units dropped in price as the already unlevered REIT was not seen to be needing further deleverage and early debt repayment in a rising rate environment.
  • Units went ex-Rights on 24 February. The rights start trading tomorrow. That means flows. Of multiple kinds. Worth thinking about.

HSCEI Dividend Futures: Fair Value Estimates as Result Season Looms

By Brian Freitas

  • The HSCEI 2023 dividend futures have moved up over the last few months though there was a sharp move lower in the last couple of weeks.
  • With results and dividends scheduled to be announced in the next few weeks, we take a look at the fair value estimate for the 2023 dividend futures.
  • We also list out the things to watch for over the next few weeks and months that could impact the 2023 dividend futures and the 2023/24 dividend steepener.

JD Health (6618.HK) – It’s Time to Reassess the Business Prospects and Valuation

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • JD Health’s dependence on direct sales business wouldn’t change. But the gross profit of prescription drugs is low. If JD Health increases its revenue proportion, overall gross margin would decline.
  • The business supporting JD Health’s high growth in the future is more dependent on the second growth point, but we haven’t seen any new business with high certainty so far.
  • The essence of JD Health’s business is “product sale e-commerce” rather than “a comprehensive online healthcare platform” at the current stage, which cannot support high valuation in our view.

Shum Yip Property Operations Group Pre-IPO Tearsheet

By Clarence Chu

  • Shum Yip Property Operations Group (SYPOG HK) is looking to raise about US$200m in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO.
  • Shum Yip Property Operations Group (SYPOG) is a property management, commercial operational and city services provider in China.
  • As per Frost & Sullivan (F&S), the firm was eighth among comprehensive property management, commercial operational and city services providers in China as per 2021 revenue.

Hong Kong CEO & Director Dealings (9 Mar): Lenovo, CLP Holdings, GoFintech, North Asia Strategic

By David Blennerhassett


DPC Dash Pre-IPO – Refiled PHIP Updates – Growth Picking up Again

By Sumeet Singh

  • DPC Dash (1405 HK) aimed to raise around US$75m in its Hong Kong IPO in December. The company is now back with a revised PHIP which incorporates its FY22 performance.
  • The company is the exclusive master franchisee for Domino’s Pizza in China, HK and Macau. DPC operated 562 stores across 13 cities, as of Nov 2022.
  • In this note, we talk about the updates from its refiled PHIP.

Morning Views Asia: China SCE, Greentown China, Lippo Malls Indonesia Retail Trust

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: Sosei Group, Japan Post Bank and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • Sosei Group (4565 JP) TSE Prime Promotion and TOPIX Inclusion… Finally
  • Japan Post Bank (7182 JP): The Current Playbook

Sosei Group (4565 JP) TSE Prime Promotion and TOPIX Inclusion… Finally

By Travis Lundy

  • Sosei Group (4565 JP) is a Tokyo-based biopharma group which started small, got big and exciting, and hasn’t grown in market cap in years, while it has grown in ambition.
  • It has strategic relationships with AbbVie, Biohaven, Genentech, GSK, Takeda, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Takeda and a market cap near ¥200bn.
  • It has always had impressive shareholder support. Now after nearly 20 years on TSE Mothers/Growth (the limit was supposed to be 10yrs), it moves to TSE Prime and TOPIX.

Japan Post Bank (7182 JP): The Current Playbook

By Arun George

  • Since the offer announcement, Japan Post Bank (7182 JP)/JPB’s shares have risen by 4.4%. On 1 March, JPB completed the ToSTNeT-3 buyback by acquiring 59.5 million shares for JPY70 billion.
  • To understand JPB’s trading pattern, it is instructive to look at Japan Post Insurance (7181 JP)/JPI’s 2019 offering and Japan Post Holdings (6178 JP)/ JPH’s 2021 offering.
  • JPB’s shares should follow the trading pattern playbook of JPI’s 2019 and JPH’s 2021 offerings and start trading below the pre-offer last trading price during the subscription period.

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Daily Brief Energy/Materials: Gold Fields Ltd, Meta Materials, Perpetua Resources Corp and more

By | Daily Briefs, Energy & Materials Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • Gold Fields Likely Won’t Be This Affordable Again
  • Working to Make Batteries Safer and More Efficient
  • Perpetua Resources Corp (PPTA) Update Note Filling the US Critical Minerals Supply Gap 08032023

Gold Fields Likely Won’t Be This Affordable Again

By Pearl Gray Equity and Research

  • Gold Fields Limited’s recent capitulation is likely overplayed and presents investors with a value gap.
  • Despite challenges such as Eskom power cuts, mine commissioning delays, and systemic risks in Ghana, Gold Fields’ production remains best-in-class and is growing exponentially.
  • Gold Fields Limited’s (NYSE:NYSE:GFI) pro-cyclical nature means that its more than 17% month-over-month capitulation is of no surprise, especially considering a concurrent decline in gold prices induced by a volatile global monetary policy environment.

Working to Make Batteries Safer and More Efficient

By Water Tower Research

  • Multiple solutions for the growing problem of battery safety. 
  • META is developing two technologies that can make lithium-ion batteries safer and reduce material needs to lower weight and increase range.
  • We highlight META’s NPORE® and NCORE™ technologies on the following pages.

Perpetua Resources Corp (PPTA) Update Note Filling the US Critical Minerals Supply Gap 08032023

By ACF Equity Research

  • Perpetua Resources Corp. (Nasdaq: PPTA; TSX: PPTA) is an Idaho based (Stibnite jurisdiction), gold-antimony-silver (Au-Sb-Ag) junior explorer/producer.   
  • ACF is releasing a aluation increase for PPTA based on milestones achieved since our initiation note. ACF identifies PPTA as a US national strategic asset (Sb) and best-in-class gold asset. 
  • PPTA is an ESG leader amongst junior miners. PPTA holds a unique antimony (Sb) reserve in the US and is positioned to be the only domestically mined source of Sb.

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  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars

Daily Brief Industrials: HNI Corp, Fortive Corp, NOW Inc and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • HNI Announces Acquisition of Kimball International; Focus on Strategic and Cultural Alignment
  • Fortive Corporation: Major Drivers
  • Transformed Fulfillment Model Driving Results

HNI Announces Acquisition of Kimball International; Focus on Strategic and Cultural Alignment

By Water Tower Research

  • Before market open on March 8, HNI announced the acquisition of Kimball International (NASDAQ: KBAL), a smaller competitor of HNI’s Workplace Furnishings segment.
  • HNI will pay about $485 million, consisting of cash ($9/KBAL share), stock (0.1301 HNI/KBAL share), and ~$46 million in KBAL net debt.
  • We see the deal as an excellent fit on strategic and cultural levels. 

Fortive Corporation: Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Fortive delivered its fourth consecutive all-around beat and managed to report core revenue growth, operating margin expansion, adjusted earnings per share growth, and free cash flow growth.
  • IOS grew core revenue, representing its double-digit core revenue growth.
  • In the quarter, strong end-market demand drove revenue growth of double-digit EMEA SaaS.

Transformed Fulfillment Model Driving Results

By Water Tower Research

  • DistributionNOW is reaping the rewards of the steps management began taking a couple of years ago to transform its fulfillment model.
  • A client-focused global technical sales force aims to make DistributionNOW a strategic partner with customers to help them manage their energy supply chain.
  • The fulfillment model, if built around Supercenters, combines multiple business lines into a single location, making it easier to work with both suppliers and customers.

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Daily Brief Industrials: HNI Corp, Fortive Corp, NOW Inc and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • HNI Announces Acquisition of Kimball International; Focus on Strategic and Cultural Alignment
  • Fortive Corporation: Major Drivers
  • Transformed Fulfillment Model Driving Results

HNI Announces Acquisition of Kimball International; Focus on Strategic and Cultural Alignment

By Water Tower Research

  • Before market open on March 8, HNI announced the acquisition of Kimball International (NASDAQ: KBAL), a smaller competitor of HNI’s Workplace Furnishings segment.
  • HNI will pay about $485 million, consisting of cash ($9/KBAL share), stock (0.1301 HNI/KBAL share), and ~$46 million in KBAL net debt.
  • We see the deal as an excellent fit on strategic and cultural levels. 

Fortive Corporation: Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Fortive delivered its fourth consecutive all-around beat and managed to report core revenue growth, operating margin expansion, adjusted earnings per share growth, and free cash flow growth.
  • IOS grew core revenue, representing its double-digit core revenue growth.
  • In the quarter, strong end-market demand drove revenue growth of double-digit EMEA SaaS.

Transformed Fulfillment Model Driving Results

By Water Tower Research

  • DistributionNOW is reaping the rewards of the steps management began taking a couple of years ago to transform its fulfillment model.
  • A client-focused global technical sales force aims to make DistributionNOW a strategic partner with customers to help them manage their energy supply chain.
  • The fulfillment model, if built around Supercenters, combines multiple business lines into a single location, making it easier to work with both suppliers and customers.

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The Smartkarma Preview Pass is your entry to the Independent Investment Research Network

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  • ✓ Personalised Alerts
  • ✓ Custom Watchlists
  • ✓ Company Data and News
  • ✓ Events & Webinars

Daily Brief Consumer: Sea Ltd, JD Health, DPC Dash and more

By | Consumer, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Sea Ltd’s (SE US) – Through the Looking Glass
  • Sea Ltd 4Q22 Results: Can Profits Hold When Growth Stall?
  • JD Health (6618.HK) – It’s Time to Reassess the Business Prospects and Valuation
  • DPC Dash Pre-IPO – Refiled PHIP Updates – Growth Picking up Again

Sea Ltd’s (SE US) – Through the Looking Glass

By Angus Mackintosh

  • Sea Ltd’s 4Q2022 results were nothing short of spectacular, with the company booking a net profit more than a year ahead of expectations, underlining management’s ability to thrive in adversity.
  • The company cut costs and most notably A&P spend on e-commerce but it still managed to grow GMV and booked positive adjust EBITDA for all its core Asian markets.  
  • Sea Ltd (SE US) now stands out well ahead of its peers on profitability and should trade at a premium but it will have to continue to execute.

Sea Ltd 4Q22 Results: Can Profits Hold When Growth Stall?

By Oshadhi Kumarasiri

  • Sea Ltd (SE US) shares went up by 22% yesterday as the company’s top-line beat consensus by 13% and recorded its first-ever operating profit of $342.9m (consensus: -$344m).
  • Main growth drivers such as GMV, orders, Gaming active users and Gross-Bookings indicate that growth could stall. Meanwhile, competition is heating up, sidelining the importance of cost discipline in e-commerce.
  • Turning unprofitable yet-again could be a hard thing to swallow, even for those firmly believing in Shopee. Therefore, Sea could fall a lot more than the previous-bottom next-time it falls.

JD Health (6618.HK) – It’s Time to Reassess the Business Prospects and Valuation

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • JD Health’s dependence on direct sales business wouldn’t change. But the gross profit of prescription drugs is low. If JD Health increases its revenue proportion, overall gross margin would decline.
  • The business supporting JD Health’s high growth in the future is more dependent on the second growth point, but we haven’t seen any new business with high certainty so far.
  • The essence of JD Health’s business is “product sale e-commerce” rather than “a comprehensive online healthcare platform” at the current stage, which cannot support high valuation in our view.

DPC Dash Pre-IPO – Refiled PHIP Updates – Growth Picking up Again

By Sumeet Singh

  • DPC Dash (1405 HK) aimed to raise around US$75m in its Hong Kong IPO in December. The company is now back with a revised PHIP which incorporates its FY22 performance.
  • The company is the exclusive master franchisee for Domino’s Pizza in China, HK and Macau. DPC operated 562 stores across 13 cities, as of Nov 2022.
  • In this note, we talk about the updates from its refiled PHIP.

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Daily Brief TMT/Internet: HYBE, Carsales.Com Ltd, Digital Turbine, Sea Ltd, Oracle Corp, X2M Connect ltd, Zebra Technologies Corp, Gaia, Guidewire Software, Arlo Technologies Inc and more

By | Daily Briefs, TMT/Internet

In today’s briefing:

  • HYBE: May Be Seeking to Raise As Much as 1 Trillion Won (Will Investors Support This Plan)?
  • Carsales Renounceable Entitlement Offer – Following up on a Decade-Old Acquisition
  • Digital Turbine: A Pivot Is In Sight
  • [Sea Limited (SE US) Target Price Change]: Expect Weak Growth Trend into 2023
  • The Oracle Playbook Goes Mainstream
  • X2M Connect Limited – Solid Operating Leverage Demonstrated in H1 23
  • Zebra Technologies: Improved Offerings For Industrial Automation & Other Drivers
  • Company Appears to Be Back in Growth Mode in 2023 After a Challenging 2022
  • Guidewire Software: Major Drivers
  • ARLO: Profitability Back in View

HYBE: May Be Seeking to Raise As Much as 1 Trillion Won (Will Investors Support This Plan)?

By Douglas Kim

  • In the last few days, there have been local media accounts that mentioned that HYBE may be seeking as much as 1 trillion won (US$760 million) from investors.
  • The more likely scenario is that HYBE encounters a greater backlash from the global investors in its attempts to raise nearly 1 trillion won.
  • We maintain our existing stance of Kakao eventually winning this M&A battle for the controlling stake in SM Entertainment.

Carsales Renounceable Entitlement Offer – Following up on a Decade-Old Acquisition

By Ethan Aw

  • Carsales.Com Ltd (CAR AU) aims to raise around US$330m (A$501m) via a renounceable entitlement offer. The deal is relatively large to digest at 28.2 days of three month ADV. 
  • The use of proceeds will be to acquire 40% of Webmotors SA and strengthen its balance sheet. 
  • In this note, we will talk about the deal dynamics and run the deal through our ECM framework.

Digital Turbine: A Pivot Is In Sight

By Pearl Gray Equity and Research

  • Digital Turbine, Inc.’s misfortunes are about to pivot, providing ad spending reverts to its average growth trajectory.
  • The company has a novel business model, and constant expansion by integrating growth ideas such as a Shopify-esque platform could yield substantial financial benefits, according to the company.
  • Digital Turbine, Inc. (NASDAQ:APPS) stock has suffered from a trying time during the past year, conveyed by its more than 70% year-over-year drawdown.

[Sea Limited (SE US) Target Price Change]: Expect Weak Growth Trend into 2023

By Shawn Yang

  • SE reported C4Q22 total revenue 10% and 14% higher than our est. and cons., thanks to the improvement in monetization rate of eCommerce segment. 
  • We expect the weak trend to continue into 2023, with intensified competition from eCommerce competitors and weak performance of Free Fire.
  • We raise our TP to US$62, which implies 2.5X PS/6X PE/4X PS for eCommerce/gaming/fintech in 2023. Maintain SELL rating due to challenging growth outlook. 

The Oracle Playbook Goes Mainstream

By Vladimir Dimitrov, CFA

  • Oracle’s strategy is being acknowledged by one of its major peers – Salesforce.
  • Oracle does not appear among the top three cloud infrastructure players, but it doesn’t need to.
  • Oracle is expected to deliver another strong quarter, investors should remain focused on the long-term positioning of the business.

X2M Connect Limited – Solid Operating Leverage Demonstrated in H1 23

By Research as a Service (RaaS)

  • X2M Connect Limited (ASX:X2M) has reported a 23% reduction in RaaS-adjusted EBITDA losses (to $2.4m) for H1 FY23 on the back of operating leverage from 96% sales growth, 135% gross profit growth and just a 14% increase in operating costs.
  • While sales growth was driven by hardware sales (connected devices +100% over the pcp), hardware margins have improved ~500bps and connected devices in the field ultimately drive SaaS/maintenance fees (platform fees).
  • Cash at bank was $3.05m with an additional net $0.5m received in January 2023 from an R&D tax credit. 

Zebra Technologies: Improved Offerings For Industrial Automation & Other Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Zebra Technologies had a strong finish to the year, with profitability and sales near the high end of the outlook of the company and an all-around beat in the fourth quarter.
  • Latin America sales increased with strong growth in Mexico and Brazil.
  • However, due to an uncertain microenvironment, Zebra Technologies continue to see elongated sales cycles and softening of demand.

Company Appears to Be Back in Growth Mode in 2023 After a Challenging 2022

By Water Tower Research

  • Gaia reported 4Q22 revenues of $19.6 million versus $20.8 million in 4Q21, and 2022 revenues of $82.0 million versus $79.6 million in 2021.
  • Given the small Yoga International acquisition in December 2021, this implies some revenue contraction in the core business for 2022.
  • Despite the top-line challenge, net income was slightly positive for the year after adjusting for one-time legal fees and the anticipated SEC settlement accrual, which confirms the resilience of Gaia’s financial model.

Guidewire Software: Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Guidewire Software is delivered a mixed set of results in the recent quarter with revenues above Wall Street expectations.
  • Both ARR and subscription revenue and particularly subscription and support gross margin, finished ahead of the expectations of the management.
  • In the quarter, Guidewire Software executed several new InsuranceSuite production deployments on the Guidewire Cloud Platform, including DEFINITY Insurance.

ARLO: Profitability Back in View

By Hamed Khorsand

  • ARLO initiated a new marketing strategy based on price and it seems consumers have responded well in an otherwise tough market backdrop.
  • The sell through led to ARLO growing the number of paid subscribers more than we were expecting, and on pace to surpass 2 million paid subscribers in first quarter 2023
  • The revenue achieved in the fourth quarter was approximately $3 million higher than the top end of the guidance range ARLO had previously provided

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Daily Brief Health Care: Sosei Group, Ryman Healthcare, Recce Ltd and more

By | Daily Briefs, Healthcare

In today’s briefing:

  • Sosei Group (4565 JP) TSE Prime Promotion and TOPIX Inclusion… Finally
  • Ryman Healthcare Renounceable Entitlement Offer – Retail Shortfall Manageable
  • Recce Pharmaceuticals – Seeking a breakthrough in sepsis

Sosei Group (4565 JP) TSE Prime Promotion and TOPIX Inclusion… Finally

By Travis Lundy

  • Sosei Group (4565 JP) is a Tokyo-based biopharma group which started small, got big and exciting, and hasn’t grown in market cap in years, while it has grown in ambition.
  • It has strategic relationships with AbbVie, Biohaven, Genentech, GSK, Takeda, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Takeda and a market cap near ¥200bn.
  • It has always had impressive shareholder support. Now after nearly 20 years on TSE Mothers/Growth (the limit was supposed to be 10yrs), it moves to TSE Prime and TOPIX.

Ryman Healthcare Renounceable Entitlement Offer – Retail Shortfall Manageable

By Ethan Aw

  • Ryman Healthcare (RYM NZ) announced a US$569m (NZ$902m) raising via a renounceable entitlement offer to reset the firm’s capital structure and reduce its gearing. 
  • The institutional part of the entitlement offer saw a strong take up and the shares have held up above the entitlement offer price since the deal was announced.
  • In this note, we will talk about the upcoming retail shortfall bookbuild and other updates since our last note.

Recce Pharmaceuticals – Seeking a breakthrough in sepsis

By Edison Investment Research

Recce Pharmaceuticals is developing a novel class of broad-spectrum synthetic anti-infective drugs to which, so far, all tested bacteria have been unable to develop resistance. This could be a very desirable trait given widespread concerns about antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The lead indication for Recce’s synthetic polymer antibiotic, Recce 327 (R327), is sepsis, a substantial area of unmet need with significant mortality and high costs of care. A Phase Ib/IIa multiple-dose study of an intravenous (IV) R327 formulation in healthy subjects is planned to start in H1 CY23. The company is also assessing other infection indications, such as complicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). A topical (spray-on) formulation of R327 is also being assessed in human trials for burn wound infections, and a new study for diabetic foot infections is expected to start shortly. We value Recce at A$497m, or A$2.79/share.


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