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Smartkarma Daily Briefs

Daily Brief Japan: Ashimori Industry, Pacific Industrial, Metaplanet, Japan Post Bank, Japan System Techniques Co, Mec Co Ltd, Migalo Holdings, TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • Ashimori Industry (3526 JP): Murakami Outlines His Case
  • Pacific Industrial (7250 JP): Effissimo Rears Its Head
  • Metaplanet Placement: A Look at Other Treasury Play Issuances and Performance
  • Japan Post Bank- Adding Some Sizzle with a Move into Digital Currencies!
  • Q1 Follow-Up – Japan System Techniques (4323 JP) – August 25, 2025
  • MEC Co., Ltd (4971 JP): Research Update
  • Q1 Follow-Up – MIGALO HOLDINGS (5535 JP) – August 26, 2025
  • What Is More Important in Promoting “Effective Investor Relations”?


Ashimori Industry (3526 JP): Murakami Outlines His Case

By Arun George

  • Takateru Murakami, Yoshiaki Murakami’s son, has increased his Ashimori Industry (3526 JP) to an 18.36% ownership ratio at an average buy-in price of JPY4,154.28 vs. the JPY4,140 tender offer. 
  • Crucially, in today’s disclosure, Takateru Murakami outlines the rationale for his stake building, which centres on the book value being materially understated if certain land were revalued at market rates.
  • Maintaining current terms is increasingly not a viable option. Toyoda Gosei (7282 JP) is likely to pursue a strategy of either increasing its offer or lowering the minimum acceptance condition. 

Pacific Industrial (7250 JP): Effissimo Rears Its Head

By Arun George

  • Effissimo reported a 5.87% ownership ratio in Pacific Industrial (7250 JP). The average buy-in price of JPY2,235.91 per share is 9.1% above the JPY2,050 MBO offer.
  • Effissimo buying significantly above terms is justifiable as the offer implied a P/B of 0.71x. Effissimo is agitating for either a bump or an opportunity to participate in the back-end.
  • With the offer closing on 8 September and shares trading 16.9% above terms, the Ogawas have little choice but to revise terms.

Metaplanet Placement: A Look at Other Treasury Play Issuances and Performance

By Nicholas Tan

  • Metaplanet (3350 JP) is looking to raise around US$1bn from a primary placement.
  • The deal is a relatively small one, representing 4.8 days of the stock’s three month ADV, despite being 22.8% of total shares outstanding.
  • In this note, we look at Metaplanet and its peers.

Japan Post Bank- Adding Some Sizzle with a Move into Digital Currencies!

By Rikki Malik

  • The bank is starting to perform both absolutely and relative to both the Topix and the Megabanks
  • The core thesis is intact as  Net Interest Income improves from a changed asset mix 
  • The move into digital currencies is groundbreaking for this institution

Q1 Follow-Up – Japan System Techniques (4323 JP) – August 25, 2025

By Sessa Investment Research

  • Japan System Techniques (hereafter, the Company) announced its Q1 FY2026/3 results: Key consolidated figures included net sales of JPY 7,039 mn (+11.8% YoY), operating profit of JPY 493 mn (+73.8% YoY), ordinary profit of JPY 509 mn (+59.9% YoY), and profit attributable to owners of parent (hereafter, net profit) of JPY 321 mn (+77.8% YoY).
  • The DX & SI business, the package business, and the medical big data business all achieved double-digit increases in both net sales and profit YoY.
  • A record high is expected to continue, with net sales forecast at JPY 32,000 mn (+9.1% YoY), operating profit at JPY 3,590 mn (+12.6% YoY), ordinary profit at JPY 3,660 mn (+12.1% YoY), and net profit for the year at JPY 2,770 mn (+13.4% YoY).

MEC Co., Ltd (4971 JP): Research Update

By Nippon Investment Bespoke Research UK

  • While MEC’s (4971 JP) FY25 (Dec year-end) 1H sales fell short of guidance by 2.2% to ¥9,387mil (+5.7% YoY), OP improved +3.3% YoY to ¥2,440mil, coming in 8.5% above the firm’s guidance of ¥2,250mil.
  • This was primarily due to less than expected SG&A spending – something the firm had flagged in an earlier release.
  • Net profit [NP] was revised from ¥1,450mil (-23.2% YoY) to ¥1,893mil (+0.2% YoY), thanks to the receipt of a subsidy from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry [METI] specifically for smaller sized companies to support growth investment.

Q1 Follow-Up – MIGALO HOLDINGS (5535 JP) – August 26, 2025

By Sessa Investment Research

  • On August 7, MIGALO HOLDINGS Inc. (hereafter, the Company) announced its Q1 FY2026 (April–June) earnings results.
  • Net sales increased 4.4% YoY to JPY 14,272 mn, and operating profit increased 23.1% YoY to JPY 975 mn.
  • As shown below, progress toward the Company’s full-year forecast got off to a roughly on-schedule start, with 23.8% of net sales and 34.8% of operating profit achieved.

What Is More Important in Promoting “Effective Investor Relations”?

By Aki Matsumoto

  • Most companies appointed IR officers and hold some sort of briefing for analysts and investors, but briefings for overseas investors and explanations by the CEO himself are still insufficient.
  • It is valuable to have a direct Q&A session with the CEO about the feasibility of the business plan’s commitments and planned values, and the formulation process.
  • There are still many companies that are reluctant to hold meetings between independent outside directors and investors, and such companies are missing out on an opportunity to create value.

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Daily Brief China: Hangzhou Kangji Medical Instrument Co., Ltd., PC Partner, WuXi XDC Cayman , 360 Finance, Inc., GenFleet Therapeutics, Ligent Technologies, Midea Group, Hesai Group, 3SBio Inc, Shanghai Forest Cabin Biological-Tech and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Kangji Medical (9997 HK): Precondition Satisfied for the Light Scheme Offer
  • PC Partner (1263 HK): Thoughts On The HKEx Delisting
  • WuXi XDC Cayman (2268 HK) Placement: Capex to Accelerate Growth Momentum
  • 2025 High Conviction: QFIN US – Event-Driven: Regulatory Overhang Sets Up 100%+ Upside Post-Clarity
  • Genfleet (劲方医药) Pre-IPO: Thoughts on Valuation
  • Ligent Technologies Pre-IPO Tearsheet
  • Midea Group(300 HK)-Firing on All Cylinders; Disciplined Execution Across Legacy &Emerging Verticals
  • Hesai Secondary HK Offering – Stock Has Been Recovering, a Look at Possible Trading Setup
  • 3SBio Inc (1530 HK): NDA Approvals Awaited Amid Sales Decline; Upfront Payment To Boost 2H25
  • Pre-IPO Shanghai Forest Cabin Biological-Tech – The Business Model and the Concerns Behind


Kangji Medical (9997 HK): Precondition Satisfied for the Light Scheme Offer

By Arun George

  • The precondition for Hangzhou Kangji Medical Instrument Co., Ltd. (9997 HK)’s scheme privatisation from a consortium is satisfied. The offer, which has been declared final, is at HK$9.25 per share. 
  • The key condition will be approval by at least 75% disinterested shareholders (<10% of all disinterested shareholders rejection). Crucially, the blocking stake is below the substantial disclosure threshold.
  • Despite the recent derating of peers, the vote risk remains medium-to-high due to a solid interim, the imminent surgical robot growth story, unfavourable AGM voting patterns, and emerging retail opposition.

PC Partner (1263 HK): Thoughts On The HKEx Delisting

By David Blennerhassett

  • On the 15th November 2024, personal computer parts and accessories play PC Partner (1263 HK)‘s secondary listing, by way of introduction, was effected.
  • The SGX also granted in-principle approval for the conversion of its secondary listing status to a primary listing. This dual-listing status (SGX + HKEx) took effect on the 20th August.  
  • In tandem with a SGX free float waiver, PCP will now seek a HKEx delisting. This listing/delisting construct is to ensure the uninterrupted supply of NVIDIAs GPUs.

WuXi XDC Cayman (2268 HK) Placement: Capex to Accelerate Growth Momentum

By Tina Banerjee

  • WuXi XDC Cayman (2268 HK) is placing up to 22M shares at the placing price of HK$58.85 per share to raise a maximum gross proceed of HK$1,311M under general mandate.
  • The company will also issue ~24M shares to its controlling shareholder Wuxi Biologics at HK$58.85 per share for a total consideration of ~HK$1,420M, subject to independent shareholders’ approval.
  • 90% of the proceeds will be used for further expansion of the company’s production capacity in relation to clinical and commercial manufacturing for bioconjugates, drug substances, and drug products.

2025 High Conviction: QFIN US – Event-Driven: Regulatory Overhang Sets Up 100%+ Upside Post-Clarity

By Raj S, CA, CFA

  • QFIN US is down 30% since July on fear that the Oct 1 regulatory action on 24%+ loans will lead to significant and sustained earnings downgrades.
  • QFIN’s industry-leading franchise, risk management history, capital return yield (~18-20%), and strong balance sheet support a strong recovery post-regulatory clarity and cleanup.
  • Valuation at 1.2x FY1 P/BV already discounts worst case; QFIN’s recovery potential leaves scope for 100%+ upside (peak valuation at 2.4x in Mar-24 pre-regulation).

Genfleet (劲方医药) Pre-IPO: Thoughts on Valuation

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • Genfleet, a China-based clinical-stage biotech, is looking to raise USD 250 million via a Hong Kong listing. The sole book runner is CITIC.
  • In our previous insight, we looked at the company’s core products and its management team, as well as investor backing.
  • In this note, we will provide an rNPV-based valuation for the company.

Ligent Technologies Pre-IPO Tearsheet

By Hong Jie Seow

  • Ligent Technologies (LGT HK) is looking to raise about US$100m in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO. The deal will be run by Citibank and CITIC Securities
  • Ligent Technologies is a global provider of optical communication and connectivity products that support the high-speed data needs of AI computing networks, cloud services, and telecom infrastructure. 
  • Its main offerings include optical transceivers (including datacom and telecom solutions), optical chips, and optical network terminals. These solutions power applications for data centers, telecom operators and computing systems.

Midea Group(300 HK)-Firing on All Cylinders; Disciplined Execution Across Legacy &Emerging Verticals

By Sreemant Dudhoria,CFA

  • Firing on All Cylinders :Midea Group (300 HK) delivered robust 15.7% YoY revenue growth and 25% profit increase in H1 2025, driven by strong domestic demand and overseas expansion.
  • Disciplined Execution : Smart Home remained the largest contributor, while Energy Solutions and Intelligent Building Technology delivered fastest growth; overseas revenue rose 17.7% YoY, now 42.5% of group sales.
  • Available at compelling valuation of 13.7x P/E (FY25e), Midea emphasizes R&D leadership, digital transformation, and green solutions to sustain long-term growth.

Hesai Secondary HK Offering – Stock Has Been Recovering, a Look at Possible Trading Setup

By Sumeet Singh

  • Hesai Group (HSAI US) plans to raise around US$200-300m in its secondary listing in Hong Kong. 
  • The company won HK listing approval and filed its PHIP on 31st August 2025. It will look to launch its secondary offering soon.
  • In this note, we’ll take a look at the deal and talk about the impact of the raising.

3SBio Inc (1530 HK): NDA Approvals Awaited Amid Sales Decline; Upfront Payment To Boost 2H25

By Tina Banerjee

  • 3SBio Inc (1530 HK) witnessed a revenue decline of 1% in 1H25. Company’s core product Tpiao’s sales decreased 4% to RMB 2.4B (54% of total) impacted by lower volume.  
  • Phase III clinical trial of SSS06 (anemia in chronic renal failure), 608 (psoriasis), and 613 (acute gouty arthritis) is complete. NDAs for the same are under review by NMPA.
  • 3SBio shares are trading at forward P/E of 11.5x, lower than peers. We feel that there is still upside potential left in the stock.

Pre-IPO Shanghai Forest Cabin Biological-Tech – The Business Model and the Concerns Behind

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • FOREST CABIN holds a leading position in camellia oil segmentation, with mid-to-high end positioning and high gross profit margin. But high operating cost will put pressure on net profit margin.
  • Considering the risk of recession/depression, consumption downgrade and reducing non-rigid spending will be the main theme in short term. 50% YoY revenue growth in 2024 is likely to be unsustainable.
  • Valuation of FOREST CABIN could be lower than peers. Stock price performance would highly depend on market sentiment, company growth trend, and visibility of profitability at the time of listing.

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Daily Brief Industrials: SK Square , Vicom Ltd, Hesai Group, Legence, Isoteam Ltd, ZTO Express Cayman , Inpost, Titan International and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • Holdco NAV Discount Compression Play on Korea’s Next Policy Narrative: Mandatory Tender Offers
  • Vicom : Well Run Company with High ROE
  • Hesai Group H Share Listing: The Investment Case
  • Vicom Ltd: When Less Is More
  • Legence Corp. (LGN): Blackstone Backed Engineering Firm Sets Terms for IPO Seeking $3.0b Valuation
  • ISOTeam Ltd – Short-Term Miss, Long-Term Momentum
  • Alibaba’s Logistics Arm CaiNiao Relegated To “Others” Status | Implications for Chinese Express?
  • What’s New(s) in Amsterdam – 2 September (InPost | TKH Group | Dutch retail sales)
  • TWI: We are discontinuing research coverage of TWI.


Holdco NAV Discount Compression Play on Korea’s Next Policy Narrative: Mandatory Tender Offers

By Sanghyun Park

  • Korean equities are stalled; macro catalysts are absent. Street focus shifts from treasury share cancellations to next year’s mandatory tender offers, now seen as the top policy driver.
  • Pre-MTO trades focus on holding companies with wide NAV discounts or low controlling stakes, front-running policy-driven re-ratings before minority shareholders capture control premiums.
  • Focus on 32 Korean holding companies >KRW 500B; those with wide NAV discounts and lighter controlling stakes—SK’s holding companies, Samsung C&T, Hanwha, LG, LS—are prime re-rating plays.

Vicom : Well Run Company with High ROE

By Punit Khanna

  • Number 1 service provider in inspection and technical testing services in Singapore
  • Very high net profit margin of 20% and 20%+ ROE
  • Consistently makes free cash flow but earnings growth is limited

Raising Money for Persons with Disabilities in Singapore

For your kind consideration

This report has been prepared by Vriddhi Consulting, founded by Punit and Debjani Khanna. A portion of the research was contributed by Shubham Khanna, an individual on the autism spectrum.  We are grateful to Smartkarma for providing a platform to share this research and amplify its impact.

All proceeds from the publication of this report will be donated to support people with disabilities in Singapore. If you find this report valuable, we invite you to support our campaign, “Raising Money for Persons with Disabilities in Singapore.” Every contribution directly benefits the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund and qualifies for a 250% tax deduction for Singapore tax residents.

To contribute, please visit this URL. 


Hesai Group H Share Listing: The Investment Case

By Arun George

  • Hesai Group (HSAI US), a global leader in LiDAR solutions, is seeking to raise US$300 million through an H Share listing.
  • On 9 February 2023, Hesai listed on the Nasdaq, raising US$190 million at US$19.00 per ADS.
  • The investment case is based on a solid competitive positioning, high growth, emerging profitability, declining cash burn, and a reasonable valuation.

Vicom Ltd: When Less Is More

By Tan Yee Peng

  • What does a company do when its original business is producing good profitability, strong cashflow and return on equity (“ROE”), but no growth?

  • VICOM Ltd. (“VICOM”) is one such company.

  • It is a pioneer in Singapore’s Vehicle Inspection industry and has close to 73% market share, in an industry whose demand is guaranteed by government regulation that all vehicles have to be inspected at regular intervals.


Legence Corp. (LGN): Blackstone Backed Engineering Firm Sets Terms for IPO Seeking $3.0b Valuation

By IPO Boutique

  • Legence Corp set terms for its IPO and will offer 26 million shares at $25-$29 and is scheduled to debut on Friday, September 12th.
  • The company is private-equity backed by BlackStone and PE-backed deals have struggled, broadly speaking, in 2025. 
  • From 2021 to 2024, their revenues grew at a CAGR of approximately 39% and as of June 30, 2025, they had $2.8 billion of backlog and awarded contracts.

ISOTeam Ltd – Short-Term Miss, Long-Term Momentum

By SAC Capital

  • ISOTeam’s FY2025 results fell short of our expectations, with revenue declining 8.4% yoy to S$119.2m (11.7% below our forecast) and net profit attributable to shareholders dropping 21.2% yoy to S$5.1m (29.2% below forecast).
  • The weaker performance was primarily driven by delayed project commencements in Repairs & Redecoration (–42.9% yoy) and Coating & Painting (–14.4%) segments, partially offset by strong growth in Addition & Alteration (25.0% yoy) and Others (10.4% yoy) segments.
  • Gross margin improved modestly on better project mix and pricing, but earnings was further weighed down by lower other income and a higher effective tax rate.

Alibaba’s Logistics Arm CaiNiao Relegated To “Others” Status | Implications for Chinese Express?

By Daniel Hellberg

  • Last week in its June quarter earnings release Alibaba “demoted” CaiNiao’s status
  • It’s become clear that boosting eComm logistics simply isn’t a priority for Alibaba
  • For firms that took investment from Alibaba & CaiNiao, implications are -Ive

What’s New(s) in Amsterdam – 2 September (InPost | TKH Group | Dutch retail sales)

By The IDEA!

  • In this edition: • InPost | solid set of 1H25 numbers; reiterates FY25 guidance • TKH Group | awarded 140km inter-array cable contract for Gennaker offshore wind farm • Dutch retail sales | up 5% YoY in value terms in July; volume up 3.2%

TWI: We are discontinuing research coverage of TWI.

By Zacks Small Cap Research

  • Titan International Inc.(TWI) Company Sponsored Research Report

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Daily Brief Energy/Materials: Fortescue Metals, James Hardie Industries Plc, Base Oil, Air Water Inc, Capitan Silver , ADF Group , Obsidian Energy and more

By | Daily Briefs, Energy & Materials Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • Weak Steel Margins Undermine Fortescue’s Higher-Grade Iron Ore Push
  • James Hardie Industries Plc – Stockland Firing On All Cylinders
  • Global base oils margins outlook: Week of 1 September
  • Air Water Inc. (TSE: 4088) – Diversified Japanese Industrial Gas & Healthcare Player
  • Asia base oils demand outlook: Week of 1 September
  • Global base oils arb outlook: Week of 1 September
  • CAPT: Drill Results Start to Roll In; New High-Grade Zone Discovered
  • DRX: Deploying Cash on Acquisition of Groupe LAR
  • Obsidian Energy (obe.to) – Monday, Jun 2, 2025
  • Asia base oils supply outlook: Week of 1 September


Weak Steel Margins Undermine Fortescue’s Higher-Grade Iron Ore Push

By Umang Agrawal

  • FMG’s FY25 earnings slumped, with net profit hitting a five-year low as weak Chinese demand and global oversupply pressured prices.
  • Heavy reliance on iron ore and limited diversification keep Fortescue lagging peers Rio Tinto and BHP, amplifying downside risks ahead.
  • Fragile share price recovery faces technical headwinds, while narrowing steel mill margins undermine near-term prospects for premium ore demand.

James Hardie Industries Plc – Stockland Firing On All Cylinders

By FNArena

  • Stockland posted a strong FY25 result and guidance, highlighting growth potential in residential and commercial property, while addressing funding concerns.
  • -Stockland posts FY25 and FY26 guidance beats -Master-planned communities growth a highlight in residential -Data centre partnerships to drive commercial -Analysts praise a reduced dividend payout

Global base oils margins outlook: Week of 1 September

By Iain Pocock

  • Global base oils prices hold firm versus feedstock/competing fuel prices.
  • Margins hold firm at time of year when fundamentals are typically weaker.
  • Firm margins incentivize refiners to maintain high base oils output.

Air Water Inc. (TSE: 4088) – Diversified Japanese Industrial Gas & Healthcare Player

By Rahul Jain

  • Company: Founded in 2000 through the merger of Hoxan, Daido Sanso, and Kyodo Oxygen, Air Water is a diversified conglomerate spanning industrial gases, healthcare, food logistics, and energy.
  • Future Plans: Driving growth through semiconductor gases, UPS systems for AI/data centers, and hydrogen infrastructure, while scaling healthcare and logistics.
  • Valuation: Trades at ~7x EV/EBITDA and 11x forward P/E, a deep discount to global peers (Linde, Air Liquide at 14–17x EV/EBITDA).

Asia base oils demand outlook: Week of 1 September

By Iain Pocock

  • Asia’s base oils demand could stay more cautious amid expectations of healthy availability of supply, concern about exposure to lower prices.
  • Cautious buying would coincide with likely seasonal pick-up in lube consumption in coming weeks.
  • Dynamic leaves blenders facing challenge of holding sufficient supplies to meet finished lube demand while maximising benefit of any further fall in base oils prices.

Global base oils arb outlook: Week of 1 September

By Iain Pocock

  • India’s imported Group II heavy-grade base oils cargo price-premium to FOB prices in US and Asia holds firm and in relatively narrow range in recent weeks.
  • Price-spread stays in narrow range as CFR India cargo price tracks lower FOB Asia/US Gulf coast prices.
  • CFR India cargo price falls amid pick-up in availability of supplies, boosting buyers’ choice.

CAPT: Drill Results Start to Roll In; New High-Grade Zone Discovered

By Atrium Research

  • What you need to know: • Capitan Silver announced its first set of drill results from its ongoing 10,000m phase 1 drill program.
  • • Drilling intersected a new high-grade intercept (2,636 g/t Ag over 1.5m) ~150m east, expanding the Jesus Maria zone.
  • • Drilling continues with 6,700m of 10,000m completed to date, and assays are pending for 30 holes.

DRX: Deploying Cash on Acquisition of Groupe LAR

By Atrium Research

  • What you need to know: • ADF entered into an agreement to acquire Groupe LAR Inc. for $19M.
  • LAR operates in the machining, welding, and industrial mechanics sectors, primarily focusing on the large-scale hydroelectricity market.
  • • LAR posted $80.9M in revenue in 2024 (ending December 31st) and had a backlog of $104.5M as of July 31st.

Obsidian Energy (obe.to) – Monday, Jun 2, 2025

By Value Investors Club (VIC)

Key points (machine generated)

  • Stephen Loukas was appointed CEO of Obsidian in 2019, guiding the company to financial stability through strategic asset transactions.
  • Loukas, with an asset manager’s perspective, may consider selling the company or its assets to larger operators for maximum value.
  • On April 7, 2025, Obsidian sold its Pembina assets for $220 million, with Loukas emphasizing a cautious approach to future asset sales.

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.


Asia base oils supply outlook: Week of 1 September

By Iain Pocock

  • Asia’s base oils prices hold firm versus Singapore gasoil prices.
  • Firm base oil margins so far in Q3 2025 point to fundamentals that remain sufficiently balanced and that curb need for lower output levels.
  • Firm margins coincide with signs of relatively steady base oils output in early-Q3 2025 even after completion of most plant-maintenance work.

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Daily Brief Industrials: SK Square , Vicom Ltd, Hesai Group, Legence, Isoteam Ltd, ZTO Express Cayman , Inpost, Titan International and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • Holdco NAV Discount Compression Play on Korea’s Next Policy Narrative: Mandatory Tender Offers
  • Vicom : Well Run Company with High ROE
  • Hesai Group H Share Listing: The Investment Case
  • Vicom Ltd: When Less Is More
  • Legence Corp. (LGN): Blackstone Backed Engineering Firm Sets Terms for IPO Seeking $3.0b Valuation
  • ISOTeam Ltd – Short-Term Miss, Long-Term Momentum
  • Alibaba’s Logistics Arm CaiNiao Relegated To “Others” Status | Implications for Chinese Express?
  • What’s New(s) in Amsterdam – 2 September (InPost | TKH Group | Dutch retail sales)
  • TWI: We are discontinuing research coverage of TWI.


Holdco NAV Discount Compression Play on Korea’s Next Policy Narrative: Mandatory Tender Offers

By Sanghyun Park

  • Korean equities are stalled; macro catalysts are absent. Street focus shifts from treasury share cancellations to next year’s mandatory tender offers, now seen as the top policy driver.
  • Pre-MTO trades focus on holding companies with wide NAV discounts or low controlling stakes, front-running policy-driven re-ratings before minority shareholders capture control premiums.
  • Focus on 32 Korean holding companies >KRW 500B; those with wide NAV discounts and lighter controlling stakes—SK’s holding companies, Samsung C&T, Hanwha, LG, LS—are prime re-rating plays.

Vicom : Well Run Company with High ROE

By Punit Khanna

  • Number 1 service provider in inspection and technical testing services in Singapore
  • Very high net profit margin of 20% and 20%+ ROE
  • Consistently makes free cash flow but earnings growth is limited

Raising Money for Persons with Disabilities in Singapore

For your kind consideration

This report has been prepared by Vriddhi Consulting, founded by Punit and Debjani Khanna. A portion of the research was contributed by Shubham Khanna, an individual on the autism spectrum.  We are grateful to Smartkarma for providing a platform to share this research and amplify its impact.

All proceeds from the publication of this report will be donated to support people with disabilities in Singapore. If you find this report valuable, we invite you to support our campaign, “Raising Money for Persons with Disabilities in Singapore.” Every contribution directly benefits the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund and qualifies for a 250% tax deduction for Singapore tax residents.

To contribute, please visit this URL. 


Hesai Group H Share Listing: The Investment Case

By Arun George

  • Hesai Group (HSAI US), a global leader in LiDAR solutions, is seeking to raise US$300 million through an H Share listing.
  • On 9 February 2023, Hesai listed on the Nasdaq, raising US$190 million at US$19.00 per ADS.
  • The investment case is based on a solid competitive positioning, high growth, emerging profitability, declining cash burn, and a reasonable valuation.

Vicom Ltd: When Less Is More

By Tan Yee Peng

  • What does a company do when its original business is producing good profitability, strong cashflow and return on equity (“ROE”), but no growth?

  • VICOM Ltd. (“VICOM”) is one such company.

  • It is a pioneer in Singapore’s Vehicle Inspection industry and has close to 73% market share, in an industry whose demand is guaranteed by government regulation that all vehicles have to be inspected at regular intervals.


Legence Corp. (LGN): Blackstone Backed Engineering Firm Sets Terms for IPO Seeking $3.0b Valuation

By IPO Boutique

  • Legence Corp set terms for its IPO and will offer 26 million shares at $25-$29 and is scheduled to debut on Friday, September 12th.
  • The company is private-equity backed by BlackStone and PE-backed deals have struggled, broadly speaking, in 2025. 
  • From 2021 to 2024, their revenues grew at a CAGR of approximately 39% and as of June 30, 2025, they had $2.8 billion of backlog and awarded contracts.

ISOTeam Ltd – Short-Term Miss, Long-Term Momentum

By SAC Capital

  • ISOTeam’s FY2025 results fell short of our expectations, with revenue declining 8.4% yoy to S$119.2m (11.7% below our forecast) and net profit attributable to shareholders dropping 21.2% yoy to S$5.1m (29.2% below forecast).
  • The weaker performance was primarily driven by delayed project commencements in Repairs & Redecoration (–42.9% yoy) and Coating & Painting (–14.4%) segments, partially offset by strong growth in Addition & Alteration (25.0% yoy) and Others (10.4% yoy) segments.
  • Gross margin improved modestly on better project mix and pricing, but earnings was further weighed down by lower other income and a higher effective tax rate.

Alibaba’s Logistics Arm CaiNiao Relegated To “Others” Status | Implications for Chinese Express?

By Daniel Hellberg

  • Last week in its June quarter earnings release Alibaba “demoted” CaiNiao’s status
  • It’s become clear that boosting eComm logistics simply isn’t a priority for Alibaba
  • For firms that took investment from Alibaba & CaiNiao, implications are -Ive

What’s New(s) in Amsterdam – 2 September (InPost | TKH Group | Dutch retail sales)

By The IDEA!

  • In this edition: • InPost | solid set of 1H25 numbers; reiterates FY25 guidance • TKH Group | awarded 140km inter-array cable contract for Gennaker offshore wind farm • Dutch retail sales | up 5% YoY in value terms in July; volume up 3.2%

TWI: We are discontinuing research coverage of TWI.

By Zacks Small Cap Research

  • Titan International Inc.(TWI) Company Sponsored Research Report

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Daily Brief Quantitative Analysis: STAR50 Index Earning Revision (Aug): JINKO SOLAR and more

By | Daily Briefs, Quantitative Analysis

In today’s briefing:

  • STAR50 Index Earning Revision (Aug): JINKO SOLAR, Xinjiang Daqo, CAMBRICON, Ninebot
  • JPX Margin Trading Weekly (Aug 29th): Ryohin Keikaku, Disco, Yoshinoya, Advantest
  • CSI 100 Index Earning Revision (Aug): CAMBRICON, CHINA VANKE, ZIJIN MINING, TONGWEI
  • CSI 300 Index Earning Revision (Aug): CHINA VANKE, BANK OF NANJING, BANK OF HANGZHOU
  • KRX Short Interest Weekly (Aug 29th): LIG Nex1, Alteogen, Samsung F&M Ins, SK Hynix, SKC


STAR50 Index Earning Revision (Aug): JINKO SOLAR, Xinjiang Daqo, CAMBRICON, Ninebot

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • We analysed the earning revision of component stocks of STAR50 in the past month.
  • We tabulated stocks with the top impact on index’s EPS, stocks’ EPS revision, and revenue revision.
  • We highlighted EPS revision on JINKO SOLAR, Xinjiang Daqo, CAMBRICON TECHNOLOGIES, Ninebot, TRINA SOLAR, Cambricon Technologies, Ninebot, Trina Solar, Jinko Solar, Xinjiang Daqo.

JPX Margin Trading Weekly (Aug 29th): Ryohin Keikaku, Disco, Yoshinoya, Advantest

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • We analyzed the changes in margin trading positions of JPX stocks as of Aug 29th. The aggregated net margin trading position is USD17,417m.
  • We tabulate league tables for top/bottom net long/short of margin trading by value, net margin buy as multiple of ADT.
  • We highlight net margin buy/sell changes in Ryohin Keikaku, Disco, Yoshinoya, Advantest, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Fast Retailing, Nintendo, Fujikura, Furukawa Electric, Ryohin Keikaku, Disco, Yoshinoya, Advantest.

CSI 100 Index Earning Revision (Aug): CAMBRICON, CHINA VANKE, ZIJIN MINING, TONGWEI

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • We analysed the earning revision of component stocks of CSI 100 in the past month.
  • We tabulated stocks with the top impact on index’s EPS, stocks’ EPS revision, and revenue revision.
  • We highlighted EPS revision on CAMBRICON TECHNOLOGIES, CHINA VANKE, ZIJIN MINING, TONGWEI, CSCE, CHONGQING ZHIFEI BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS, TCL TECHNOLOGY, Zijin Mining, Tcl Technology, China Vanke.

CSI 300 Index Earning Revision (Aug): CHINA VANKE, BANK OF NANJING, BANK OF HANGZHOU

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • We analysed the earning revision of component stocks of CSI 300 in the past month.
  • We tabulated stocks with the top impact on index’s EPS, stocks’ EPS revision, and revenue revision.
  • We highlighted EPS revision on CHINA VANKE, BANK OF NANJING, BANK OF HANGZHOU, 360 SECURITY TECHNOLOGY, JA SOLAR TECHNOLOGY, CHINA STATE CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING, Xinjiang Daqo, CCB, Bank Of Nanjing, CCB.

KRX Short Interest Weekly (Aug 29th): LIG Nex1, Alteogen, Samsung F&M Ins, SK Hynix, SKC

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • We analyzed the changes in short interest of KRX stocks as of Aug 29th. The aggregated short interest was USD10.4bn.
  • We tabulate league tables for top short by value and short as multiple of ADT, as well as weekly increases & decreases in short value, short as multiple of ADT.
  • We highlight short interest changes in LIG Nex1, Alteogen, SamsungF&MIns, SK Hynix, SKC.

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Daily Brief Health Care: Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, Molbio Diagnostics Limited, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals , Asahi Intecc, GenFleet Therapeutics and more

By | Daily Briefs, Healthcare

In today’s briefing:

  • Simcere Pharmaceutical (2096 HK) Placement: Innovative Pipeline Enlightens Growth Prospects
  • Molbio Diagnostics Limited Pre-IPO Tearsheet
  • ARWR: Signs Collaboration Agreement with Novartis with 200 Million Upfront
  • Asahi Intecc (7747 JP): Strong FY25 Result; FY26 Guidance Initiation; New Business Plan Announced
  • Pre-IPO GenFleet Therapeutics (PHIP Updates) – Some Points Worth the Attention


Simcere Pharmaceutical (2096 HK) Placement: Innovative Pipeline Enlightens Growth Prospects

By Tina Banerjee

  • Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (2096 HK) is placing 120M shares at the price of HK$12.95 per share. The placing shares represents ~5% of the current total issued shares of the company.
  • The company intends to apply 90% of the net proceeds for the R&D-related expenditures. For context, Simcere has over 60 R&D pipelines of innovative drugs.
  • Considering strong growth prospect of Simcere, reasonable valuation, and upbeat investor sentiment toward Chinese pharmaceutical sector, we are bullish on the placement.   

Molbio Diagnostics Limited Pre-IPO Tearsheet

By Hong Jie Seow

  • Molbio Diagnostics Limited (1788863D IN)  is looking to raise about US$229m in its upcoming India IPO. The deal will be run by Kotak, IIFL, Jefferies and Motilal.
  • Molbio specializes in point-of-care molecular diagnostics. The company sells hardware devices such as the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analyzers and consumable test kits tailored to detect specific diseases.
  • As of FY25, its revenue base remains primarily domestic, with ~80% of revenue from India and the rest from Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. The company manufactures its products in India.

ARWR: Signs Collaboration Agreement with Novartis with 200 Million Upfront

By Zacks Small Cap Research

  • On September 2, 2025, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) announced a global license and collaboration agreement with Novartis for ARO-SNCA, the preclinical siRNA therapy targeting alpha-synuclein for the treatment of various synucleinopathies (e.g., Parkinson’s Disease), along with additional collaboration targets that will utilize Arrowhead’s TRiM platform.
  • Arrowhead will receive an upfront payment of $200 million and is eligible to receive up to $2 billion in potential milestone payments plus royalties on commercial sales.
  • In addition, on September 3, 2025, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS) announced positive topline results from the Phase 3 CORE and CORE2 studies of olezarsen in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG), in which reductions of fasting triglycerides of up to 72% and an 85% reduction in acute pancreatitis events were seen.

Asahi Intecc (7747 JP): Strong FY25 Result; FY26 Guidance Initiation; New Business Plan Announced

By Tina Banerjee

  • Asahi Intecc (7747 JP) reported 12% YoY revenue growth in FY25, driven by the continued strong trajectory of medical division. FY25 gross profit margin improved to 67.7% (FY24: 64.2%).
  • The company expects 9% YoY revenue growth to ¥131B in FY26, while gross profit margin is expected to contract 140bps to 66.3% due to the impact of the U.S. tariffs.
  • The company has set a goal of achieving revenue of ¥180B and operating profit margin of 28% in FY30. Strengthening profitability of existing businesses will help to meet this target.

Pre-IPO GenFleet Therapeutics (PHIP Updates) – Some Points Worth the Attention

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • GenFleet’s R&D strategy is to layout around the RAS signaling pathway to construct a “RAS therapy matrix” covering multiple RAS mutation types.However, there’re barriers to the development of RAS-targeted therapies.
  • The factors that suppress valuation include intense competition and potential patent risks. GenFleet’s independent commercialization capability has not been verified. So, a valuation of RMB3-4 billion is a reasonable range.
  • Considering the sustained popularity of innovative drug IPOs in the Hong Kong stock market, post-IPO valuation of GenFleet depends more on market sentiment, not fundamentals.  

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Daily Brief TMT/Internet: Koei Tecmo Holdings, Shibaura Electronics, Xiaomi, Samsung Electronics, SmartRent, Team17 Group PLC, Team Internet Group and more

By | Daily Briefs, TMT/Internet

In today’s briefing:

  • [Japan ECM] Koei Tecmo (3635 JP) Needs to Sell Shares To Stay in Prime ($280mm Offering)
  • Koei Tecmo Placement: Some Non-Fundamental Selling; but Weak Fundamentals
  • Shibaura Electronics (6957 JP): Signed, Sealed, Delivered as Yageo Secures FEFTA Approval
  • Xiaomi (1810 HK): In 2Q25, Not Just Cars, But Fast Home Appliance
  • Alpha Generation Through Share Buybacks in Korea: Bi-Monthly (July and August 2025)
  • Smartrent Inc (SMRT) – Monday, Jun 2, 2025
  • everplay group — H125 shows resilience while markets recover
  • Team Internet Group — Transitional H1, expecting the benefits in H2


[Japan ECM] Koei Tecmo (3635 JP) Needs to Sell Shares To Stay in Prime ($280mm Offering)

By Travis Lundy

  • In December 2021, Koei Tecmo Holdings (3635 JP) announced a complex but lower-impact move to increase float share count in order to stay listed on TSE Prime.
  • Scheme: buyback from two holders plus CB issuance. Unfortunately, shares did not rise enough to convert the CBs so as of March 2025, the tradable share criteria was not met.
  • So now the two main holders are selling more shares and the company is diluting holders with new issuance to get float/tradable shares up with a US$280mm offering.

Koei Tecmo Placement: Some Non-Fundamental Selling; but Weak Fundamentals

By Nicholas Tan

  • Koei Tecmo Holdings (3635 JP) is looking to raise around US$270m from a primary and secondary placement.
  • The deal is a large one to digest, representing 37.6 days of the stock’s three month ADV and 6.1% of the shares outstanding.
  • In this note, we will talk about the placement and run the deal through our ECM framework.

Shibaura Electronics (6957 JP): Signed, Sealed, Delivered as Yageo Secures FEFTA Approval

By Arun George

  • Yageo Corporation (2327 TT) has finally secured FEFTA approval for its JPY7,130 offer for Shibaura Electronics (6957 JP). The close of the tender offer has been extended to 18 September.
  • The Board has opposed the Yageo offer due to synergies, dis-synergies and cultural differences. However, on 29 August, the Board’s update suggested a possible pathway to recommend Yageo’s offer.
  • Despite Minebea Mitsumi (6479 JP)’s tendency to go against its declarations and increase its offer on several occasions, this time it is different. Minebea is likely to exit.

Xiaomi (1810 HK): In 2Q25, Not Just Cars, But Fast Home Appliance

By Ming Lu

  • In 2Q25, total revenue grew strongly by 30% YoY and the operating margin continued to improve.
  • The market focuses on car deliveries, but IoT is the largest contributor to gross profits.
  • We believe the stock has an upside of 45% for the year end 2026. Buy.

Alpha Generation Through Share Buybacks in Korea: Bi-Monthly (July and August 2025)

By Douglas Kim

  • In this insight, we discuss the alpha generation through companies that announced share buybacks in the Korean stock market in July and August 2025.
  • We provide a list of 29 companies in the Korean stock market that have announced share buyback programs in July and August 2025.
  • There were three companies with more than 1 trillion won in market cap that announced share buybacks in the past two months with at least 1% of outstanding shares.

Smartrent Inc (SMRT) – Monday, Jun 2, 2025

By Value Investors Club (VIC)

Key points (machine generated)

  • SmartRent, Inc. specializes in smart home automation for the rental housing industry and went public in August 2021 through a $2.2 billion merger.
  • The company has expanded its product offerings and serves 15 of the top 20 multifamily property owners in the U.S.
  • Despite growth, SmartRent’s stock has declined approximately 75% since a critical analysis published on January 30, 2024.

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.


everplay group — H125 shows resilience while markets recover

By Edison Investment Research

Raising guidance (however modest the amount) during a CEO interregnum is not a common occurrence. It is testament not only to the strength of everplay group’s current management team, but also to the resilience of its strategy in what is still a challenging games market. The spread of risk across the title portfolio and across the group’s three distinct divisions should be of interest to investors looking to take advantage of the continued recovery in the games market.


Team Internet Group — Transitional H1, expecting the benefits in H2

By Edison Investment Research

Team Internet’s H1 results reflect transitions in all three of its divisions, which should start to come through in an improved mix and margins from H2. Strong customer wins in DIS, international expansion in Comparison and cost reductions should drive growth and further margin improvements from H2, strengthening into FY26. Our gross profit, EBITDA and EPS estimates are essentially unchanged, despite bringing back FY25 gross revenues by 26%. Our SOTP indicates a fair value of around 110p.


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Daily Brief ESG: Vicom Ltd: When Less Is More and more

By | Daily Briefs, ESG

In today’s briefing:

  • Vicom Ltd: When Less Is More


Vicom Ltd: When Less Is More

By Tan Yee Peng

  • What does a company do when its original business is producing good profitability, strong cashflow and return on equity (“ROE”), but no growth?

  • VICOM Ltd. (“VICOM”) is one such company.

  • It is a pioneer in Singapore’s Vehicle Inspection industry and has close to 73% market share, in an industry whose demand is guaranteed by government regulation that all vehicles have to be inspected at regular intervals.


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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Ohayo Japan | Macro Data and Washington Politics to Set Tone and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • Ohayo Japan | Macro Data and Washington Politics to Set Tone
  • Asia’s Gold Miners: High-Beta Plays for Gold’s Next Surge
  • Japan Morning Connection: Google Spared from Anti-Trust Break up Sends Stock up in Late Trading
  • Exencial Industry Tidings 02/09/2025
  • Singapore Market Roundup (02-Sep-2025): Morningstar cuts Singapore banks’ uncertainty ratings to
  • SA Listed Property Review August 2025


Ohayo Japan | Macro Data and Washington Politics to Set Tone

By Mark Chadwick

  • Japanese shares rebounded from a two-day losing streak, with the Nikkei 225 Index rising 0.3%
  • Uniqlo Japan reported a 5.3% year-on-year increase in same-store sales, including online sales, for August 2025.
  • Sumitomo Corporation and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Leasing will jointly acquire US Air Leasing, a major aircraft leasing company, for approximately 1.09 trillion yen

Asia’s Gold Miners: High-Beta Plays for Gold’s Next Surge

By Rahul Jain

  • Gold has compounded ~8–9% annually over two decades, with structural drivers — central bank demand, energy transition, and supply discipline — supporting a constructive long-term outlook
  • Gold equities historically show 1.5–2.5x beta to bullion with correlations of 0.6–0.8, amplifying upside in bull cycles and underperforming in downturns.
  • The sector has already seen a sharp run-up, but positioning, fundamentals, and macro tailwinds suggest this rally may still have legs.

Japan Morning Connection: Google Spared from Anti-Trust Break up Sends Stock up in Late Trading

By Andrew Jackson

  • Markets not liking the US revoking TSMC’s China export waiver sending TSMC suppliers lower.
  • Memory continues to shine but there looks to be more upside for HDD component suppliers Hoya and Minebea.
  • New AI glasses from Samsung could reignite interest in Nikon if the technology comes back into focus.

Exencial Industry Tidings 02/09/2025

By Viral Kishorchandra Shah

  • Natural acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) prices fall 3.9% y-o-y in August 2025
  • Caustic soda flakes prices stagnate in August 2025 on y-o-y basis
  • Farmers in Andhra Pradesh estimate shortage of urea during kharif season

Singapore Market Roundup (02-Sep-2025): Morningstar cuts Singapore banks’ uncertainty ratings to

By Singapore Market Roundup

  • Morningstar lowers Singapore banks’ uncertainty ratings to ‘low’ after tariff scare.
  • Aletheia Capital sees Sing Investments, Advanced Holdings, and Koyo Int’l as undervalued.
  • PhillipCapital raises Singtel’s target price to $4.86 due to mobile and data growth.

SA Listed Property Review August 2025

By Garreth Elston

  • August marked another positive month for the SA Listed Property sector, with the SA All Property Index gaining 2.04% in total return terms.
  • The primary catalyst for this positive performance was the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) decision to cut the repo rate by 25 basis points at the end of July.
  • The sector delivered good results from reporting companies, and guidance increases from several companies too (OCT, NRP, PPR, RES).

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