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Daily Briefs

Daily Brief South Korea: EcoPro Materials, K Car, Samsung Electronics Pref Shares, Zinus, Hanmi Pharm and more

By | Daily Briefs, South Korea

In today’s briefing:

  • Ecopro Materials IPO – Peer Comparison – Doesn’t Particularly Stand Out
  • Alpha Generation Through High Dividend Stocks in Korea
  • Gap Trades in Korean Prefs Vs Common Share Pairs in 4Q 2023
  • Setting up to Target Exclusion Stock Post Doosan Robotics’ KOSPI 200 Fast Entry
  • Hanmi Pharm (128940 KS): Core Products Continue to Drive Sales; Pipeline Progress Raises Hope


Ecopro Materials IPO – Peer Comparison – Doesn’t Particularly Stand Out

By Ethan Aw

  • EcoPro Materials (ECO123 KS) is looking to raise up to US$500m in its Korean IPO.
  • Ecopro Materials (EPM) manufactures and sells high-nickel precursors, one of the key materials for high-nickel cathode materials for secondary (rechargeable) batteries.
  • In our previous note, we covered the company’s performance. In this note, we will undertake a  peer comparison.

Alpha Generation Through High Dividend Stocks in Korea

By Douglas Kim

  • In the first table, we provide a list of 56 stocks (2.2% of total) which have dividend yields of 7% or more. 
  • The second table is a list of stocks with dividend yields of 7% or more and they are ranked in terms of market cap. 
  • These 25 stocks have an average dividend yield of 9.1%. The second table has 12 financials related stocks, representing 48% of total. 

Gap Trades in Korean Prefs Vs Common Share Pairs in 4Q 2023

By Douglas Kim

  • In this insight, we discuss numerous gap trades involving Korean preferred and common shares in 4Q 2023. Typically, fourth quarter is when pref stocks are emphasized the most in Korea.
  • The excessive gaps in the preferred and common shares of Samsung Electronics (005930 KS), Hotel Shilla (008770 KS), and Amorepacific Corp (090430 KS) could reverse in the next several months.
  • We see some attractive longer-term opportunities for Amorepacific, Doosan Fuel Cell, LG Electronics, and Hyundai Motor which have especially high discounts for the preferred shares versus their counterpart common shares.

Setting up to Target Exclusion Stock Post Doosan Robotics’ KOSPI 200 Fast Entry

By Sanghyun Park

  • Doosan Robotics has the potential to rise up to ₩104,000 on the listing date. The market cap would reach ₩6.74T, which fulfills the criteria for KOSPI 200 fast entry
  • Based on this calculation, Zinus had the lowest average daily market cap during the previous rebalancing screening period. Therefore, Zinus will be excluded due to the inclusion of Doosan Robotics.
  • KOSPI 200 passive trackers will need to conduct rebalancing trading reflecting this ad-hoc change on the closing price of November 9th.

Hanmi Pharm (128940 KS): Core Products Continue to Drive Sales; Pipeline Progress Raises Hope

By Tina Banerjee

  • With 1H23 revenue of KRW704 billion, Hanmi Pharm (128940 KS) is on track on surpass its 2022 revenue of KRW1.33 trillion to reach a new high in 2023.
  • Hanmi is developing epeglenatide as personalized obesity drug for South Korean market. With the spectacular success of obesity drugs in the U.S., epeglenatide seems to be have great market potential.
  • Outlicensing partner Merck is conducting phase 2b trial on efinopegdutide for NASH, with result expected in 2025. Efinopegdutide obtained fast track designation from FDA, which should accelerate its commercialization.

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Daily Brief Singapore: Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation and more

By | Daily Briefs, Singapore

In today’s briefing:

  • Vertex Technology’s Hybrid Arb
  • Vertex Technology Acquisition (VTAC SP)/17LIVE: Turn Off


Vertex Technology’s Hybrid Arb

By David Blennerhassett

  • Temasek-Backed Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation (VTAC SP), the first of three SPACs (so far) to list on the SGX, has announced a transaction to buy Taiwanese live-streaming platform, 17Live.  
  • Assuming the deal completes, potentially by year-end, the merged entity would be valued at ~S$1.16bn.
  • All independent shareholders are entitled to redemption rights. That is, you’ll get ~$5 back if redeeming against $4.96/share now. But liquidity is not great. Plus this appears a related-party transaction.

Vertex Technology Acquisition (VTAC SP)/17LIVE: Turn Off

By Arun George

  • Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation (VTAC SP) agreed to a De-SPAC transaction with 17LIVE, the top pure-play live streaming platform (by revenue) in Japan and Taiwan combined.
  • Industry data and the financials suggest that 17LIVE does not have a sustainable competitive advantage to translate its position into high earnings quality. 
  • The purchase consideration of 17LIVE in the De-SPAC transaction is S$925.1 million (US$682.2 million). Our valuation analysis suggests that this consideration is full.

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Daily Brief Indonesia: Tata Motors Ltd, AAC Technologies Holdings and more

By | Daily Briefs, Indonesia

In today’s briefing:

  • Morning Views Asia: Medco Energi, Tata Motors ADR
  • Asia HY Monthly – September 2023 – Lucror Analytics


Morning Views Asia: Medco Energi, Tata Motors ADR

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.


Asia HY Monthly – September 2023 – Lucror Analytics

By Charles Macgregor

The Asia Monthly focuses on providing updates on recent events, information on new issues and spread movements, as well as summarising our top picks. The Asia Monthly is intended to broaden investors’ understanding of the Asian USD high-yield market.


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Daily Brief United States: S&P 500 INDEX, Hewlett Packard Enterprise , Micron Technology, Hewlett Packard Co, Costco Wholesale, FuelCell Energy, IAC , Cue Health, Hologic Inc, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and more

By | Daily Briefs, United States

In today’s briefing:

  • S&P 500 and Russell 2000 Testing 1-Year Uptrends; “Magnificent Seven” Supports to Watch
  • Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Soaring Sales and the Genius Behind Intelligent Edge! – Major Drivers
  • Memory Monitor: Micron Outperformed Through Earnings; Nanya Earnings Key for DRAM Bottoming View
  • HP Inc.: The Collaborative Moves Making The Company A Market Leader! – Major Drivers
  • Costco Wholesale Corp: Strategies for Consistent Membership Renewals! – Major Drivers
  • FuelCell Energy Inc.: New Commercial Development Initiatives Explained! – Major Drivers
  • IAC/InterActiveCorp: The Crucial Assets Driving Its Financial Growth! – Major Drivers
  • Cue Health Up For Sale: Tarsadia Pushes for Desperate Sale Amid Stock Plummet!
  • Hologic Inc.: Decoding the Reasons Behind the Double-Digit Molecular Growth! – Major Drivers
  • Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc: Can The Acquisition Of Decibel Therapeutics Be A Game Changer? – Major Drivers


S&P 500 and Russell 2000 Testing 1-Year Uptrends; “Magnificent Seven” Supports to Watch

By Joe Jasper

  • As discussed in last week’s Compass (9/26/23), we continue to believe the odds of a deeper pullback to SPX 4165-4200/the 200-day MA have increased 
  • Our reasoning continues to be due to the major breakouts in the U.S. dollar (DXY) and Treasury yields (10- and 30-year), coupled with a handful of Sectors/indexes breaking below supports.
  • We are also monitoring 1-year uptrends on the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 (IWM), currently at 4240 and $173. Flirting with breakdowns below these levels today. Buys in retail/energy shippers

Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Soaring Sales and the Genius Behind Intelligent Edge! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company delivered a positive result and managed an all-around beat last quarter.
  • HPE produced significant free cash flow while increasing its revenue, gross margin, as well as earnings per share year over year.
  • In this report, we have carried out a fundamental analysis of the historical financial statements of the company.

Memory Monitor: Micron Outperformed Through Earnings; Nanya Earnings Key for DRAM Bottoming View

By Vincent Fernando, CFA

  • Micron has Outperperformed Nanya Tech & Hynix since our pre-earnings trade. Micron’s valuation has reverted vs. Nanya’s.
  • Nanya Tech has recently reported a 15% YoY drop in its latest monthly revenue. Micron just had a US$1.3bn subsidy approved by the Japanese government.
  • We are now agnostic on the upcoming relative performance between the three Memory names Micron, Nanya Tech, and SK Hynix. Nanya will report its results on October 11th.

HP Inc.: The Collaborative Moves Making The Company A Market Leader! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Despite a challenging market environment, HP increased net revenue, non-GAAP EPS, non-GAAP operating profit, and free cash flow quarter over quarter.
  • With $13.2 billion in net revenue, the company’s annualized revenue was down 10% or 7% in constant currency.
  • Despite not being immune to the end market concerns, these businesses combined produced strong sequential growth in the quarter.

Costco Wholesale Corp: Strategies for Consistent Membership Renewals! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Costco delivered an all-around beat in the most recent quarterly result.
  • The company reported net income for the 17-week fourth quarter came in at $2.16 billion or $4.86 per diluted share compared to $1.868 billion or $4.20 per diluted share in the 16-week fourth quarter last year.
  • In terms of sales, net sales for the 17-week fourth quarter were $77.43 billion, an increase of 9.4% from $70.76 billion in the 16-week fourth quarter last year.

FuelCell Energy Inc.: New Commercial Development Initiatives Explained! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • FuelCell Energy, Inc. delivered a mixed result in the recent quarter, with revenues below market expectations, but it surpassed the analyst consensus regarding earnings.
  • The company reported total revenues of $25.5 million for the quarter.
  • The two latest module exchanges at the plant owned by Korea Southern Power Company and the module exchange at the plant at Trinity College were the main factors behind the increase in service agreement revenue for the third quarter of fiscal year 2023.

IAC/InterActiveCorp: The Crucial Assets Driving Its Financial Growth! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • IAC/InterActiveCorp delivered a disappointing set of results as it could not meet the revenue and earnings expectations of Wall Street.
  • The company experienced 1% growth in the digital space in June, driven largely by effective performance marketing, and it maintained sessions and traffic across the board for the entire month.
  • IAC is pleased with the location of such assets in the migration and growth plans.

Cue Health Up For Sale: Tarsadia Pushes for Desperate Sale Amid Stock Plummet!

By Baptista Research

  • This is a special one-time report on Cue Health, a company once lauded for its promise in the diagnostics sector.
  • Amidst diminishing fortunes, the company is under the scrutiny of significant shareholder, Tarsadia Investments.
  • This report aims to dissect the various valuation scenarios underpinning Cue Health, providing a lucid understanding of its investment potential amidst the unfolding drama.

Hologic Inc.: Decoding the Reasons Behind the Double-Digit Molecular Growth! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Hologic, Inc. exceeded analyst expectations in terms of revenue as well as earnings.
  • Non-GAAP earnings per share were $0.93 and the total revenue was $984 million.
  • In Mammography, Hologic delivered more gantries in Q3 than in Q1 and significantly fewer than in Q2.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc: Can The Acquisition Of Decibel Therapeutics Be A Game Changer? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Regeneron delivered an all-around beat in the previous quarter, demonstrating progress toward their long-term objective of business growth and revenue diversification.
  • Total revenues saw an 11% increase compared to the previous year’s quarter, primarily driven by collaboration revenues with Sanofi and net product sales of Libtayo, which exhibited impressive growth of 39% and 49%, respectively.
  • Notably, non-EYLEA revenue contributions accounted for 41% of total revenues, marking a significant proportion, the highest in the last decade, excluding contributions from COVID-19 antibodies.

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Daily Brief China: Topsports International Holdings, Cainiao Smart Logistics, J&T Global Express, Beijing UBOX Online Technology, AAC Technologies Holdings, Water Oasis, Malo Medical Management, Luyuan Group and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Topsports (6110 HK):  Beneficiary Of An Improving Nike China
  • Cainiao IPO: Index Inclusion Timeline
  • J&T Global Express IPO: PHIP Updates
  • Beijing UBOX Online Technology Pre-IPO – PHIP Updates – Signs of Recovery, but Still Making Losses
  • J&T Global Express Pre-IPO, Part 5 | Analysis of H123 Performance | Updated EV Estimate US$9.1 Bn
  • Asia HY Monthly – September 2023 – Lucror Analytics
  • Water Oasis: FY23 Earnings a Preview, Trades at 11% Yield Post Correction
  • Pre-IPO Malo Medical Management – Profit Model Is Not Mature; Future Expansion Is Worrying
  • Luyuan Group IPO: Likely To Be Priced At The Low-End Of Range As E-Bikes Sales Have Slowed in Asia
  • J&T Global Express Pre-IPO – PHIP Updates – Managed to Grow but Isn’t Sustainable Yet


Topsports (6110 HK):  Beneficiary Of An Improving Nike China

By Steve Zhou, CFA

  • Topsports International Holdin (6110 HK) is a pure-play on Nike and Adidas retail sales in China, as it is a leading retail partner of Nike and Adidas in China.
  • Nike’s Greater China sales grew 12% yoy during the most recent quarter.  During the earnings call, Nike management was bullish on the prospects of the China business.
  • The company currently trades at 13x forward PE, with a forward dividend yielf of 7%. 

Cainiao IPO: Index Inclusion Timeline

By Brian Freitas

  • Cainiao Smart Logistics (1437124D HK) has filed an application proof to list on the HKEX (388 HK) and could raise US$1bn at a valuation between US$15bn-20bn.
  • Cainiao Smart Logistics (1437124D HK) could get Fast Entry to the HSCI and be included in Southbound Stock Connect once the price stabilisation period is complete.
  • Inclusion in other indices will take longer with the highest probability of index inclusion in June. Earlier inclusion will depend on the IPO timing, size and allocation to strategic/cornerstone investors.

J&T Global Express IPO: PHIP Updates

By Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

  • Global logistics and express delivery service provider J&T Express’ HKEx IPO application has been approved and this insight focuses on new data points from the PHIP filings.
  • SEA segment’s GPM has further declined during 1H2023, however, gross losses of the other two segments have declined significantly resulting in GPM for the company.
  • Our analysis suggests that with falling SEA margins, J&T Global Express (1936374D CH) may not be able to generate operating profits in the medium-term.

Beijing UBOX Online Technology Pre-IPO – PHIP Updates – Signs of Recovery, but Still Making Losses

By Clarence Chu

  • Beijing UBOX Online Technology (1741985D CH) is looking to raise up to US$500m in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO. 
  • Beijing UBOX Online Technology (UBOX) is an unmanned retail operator (vending machine) in China.
  • We had looked at its past performance earlier. In this note, we look at the updates from its recently filed PHIP. 

J&T Global Express Pre-IPO, Part 5 | Analysis of H123 Performance | Updated EV Estimate US$9.1 Bn

By Daniel Hellberg

  • In this insight we focus on J&T’s improved H123 performance in China and SE Asia
  • How did the company achieve these gains? And do the improvements appear sustainable?
  • We conclude with an updated estimate of J&T’s Enterprise Value: US$9.1 Bn

Asia HY Monthly – September 2023 – Lucror Analytics

By Charles Macgregor

The Asia Monthly focuses on providing updates on recent events, information on new issues and spread movements, as well as summarising our top picks. The Asia Monthly is intended to broaden investors’ understanding of the Asian USD high-yield market.


Water Oasis: FY23 Earnings a Preview, Trades at 11% Yield Post Correction

By Sameer Taneja

  • After going ex-dividend in June, Water Oasis (1161 HK) corrected and has remained rangebound at the 1.35-1.45 HKD/levels due to negative sentiment on HK/China.
  • We expect FY23 results to be reported in late November/early December. We expect an increase of 19%/85%  in Revenue/PAT with a 16-cent dividend for FY23 (11.4% dividend yield).
  • Stock trades at 7.6x/6.2x PE FY23e/24e, a dividend yield of 11.4%/14% FY23e/24e with 25% of the market capitalization in cash. 

Pre-IPO Malo Medical Management – Profit Model Is Not Mature; Future Expansion Is Worrying

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Malo’s revenue had good growth, but revenue scale is still small. At the current gross margin level, it would be difficult to generate decent profits considering the large SG&A expenses.
  • Dental care expansion is difficult. Malo would face the challenging such as lack of high-quality dentists and centralized procurement. Both would drag down profits and cash flow.
  • We are not optimistic about Malo’s share price performance after IPO. This industry’s profit mode is not mature. Most of chain dental services providers are still in cash-burning expansion stage.

Luyuan Group IPO: Likely To Be Priced At The Low-End Of Range As E-Bikes Sales Have Slowed in Asia

By Andrei Zakharov

  • Luyuan Group, a pioneer in the e-bike industry in China, set terms for an upcoming IPO. The company offers ~106.7M shares at the expected price range of HK$6.00 to HK$8.00.
  • The IPO price range implies a market cap of roughly HK$3B at the midpoint. Cornerstone investors have agreed to subscribe and purchase ~71% of the Offer Shares.
  • Shares will begin trading on the HKSE next week. I believe the IPO will be priced at the low end of the range as e-bikes sales have slowed in Asia. 

J&T Global Express Pre-IPO – PHIP Updates – Managed to Grow but Isn’t Sustainable Yet

By Sumeet Singh

  • J&T Global Express, a global logistics service provider, is looking to raise about US$500m in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO.
  • As per Frost & Sullivan (F&S), the firm is the leading express delivery business in Southeast Asia, with a 22.5% market share as per 2022 parcel volume.
  • We have looked at the company’s past performance in our earlier notes. In this note we will look at its PHIP updates.

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Daily Brief India: Bandhan Bank Ltd, Vedanta Resources, Bharat Electronics, BYD, Tata Motors Ltd, AAC Technologies Holdings, NagaCorp Ltd, Shriram Transport Finance and more

By | Daily Briefs, India

In today’s briefing:

  • Bandhan Bank: Initiating Coverage – Heads Up, Strong Re-Rating Ahead.
  • Morning Views Asia: Vedanta Resources
  • NIFTY50 Index Rebalance Preview: Two’s Company; Three’s A Crowd
  • [Week 5] Namaste India 🙏 | BYD (1211 HK) | Playing Defence
  • Morning Views Asia: Medco Energi, Tata Motors ADR
  • Asia HY Monthly – September 2023 – Lucror Analytics
  • Morning Views Asia: China Vanke , JSW Infrastructure, NagaCorp Ltd, Vedanta Resources
  • Shriram Finance – Strong Latent Demand, ROA 3.08% from 2.70%, Stage 2 Loans -14%, +25% Profit 1Q24


Bandhan Bank: Initiating Coverage – Heads Up, Strong Re-Rating Ahead.

By Raj Saya, CA, CFA

  • Bandhan Bank Ltd (BANDHAN IN) has been an underperformer among Indian banks since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic due to asset quality issues in its core Group Microfinance portfolio.
  • Bandhan Bank’s leading position in the microfinance sector, strong operating margins, strategic de-risking, self-sustaining capital base, and cheap relative valuations make it a value bet with strong positive re-rating potential.
  • We value Bandhan Bank at 2.1x FY25e P/B in the base case, implying a 44% upside. On the other hand, we also discuss the risks to the thesis in detail.

Morning Views Asia: Vedanta Resources

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.


NIFTY50 Index Rebalance Preview: Two’s Company; Three’s A Crowd

By Brian Freitas

  • There should be two changes for the NIFTY Index (NIFTY INDEX) in March. That could increase to three, but that would take some big price moves from now to January.
  • Impact on the potential changes is pretty large at over 6 days of ADV to trade from passive trackers. The impact is over 11 days of delivery volume.
  • Inclusion of Avenue Supermarts Ltd (DMART IN) in the F&O segment before January could lead to another change.

[Week 5] Namaste India 🙏 | BYD (1211 HK) | Playing Defence

By Pranav Bhavsar


Morning Views Asia: Medco Energi, Tata Motors ADR

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.


Asia HY Monthly – September 2023 – Lucror Analytics

By Charles Macgregor

The Asia Monthly focuses on providing updates on recent events, information on new issues and spread movements, as well as summarising our top picks. The Asia Monthly is intended to broaden investors’ understanding of the Asian USD high-yield market.


Morning Views Asia: China Vanke , JSW Infrastructure, NagaCorp Ltd, Vedanta Resources

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.


Shriram Finance – Strong Latent Demand, ROA 3.08% from 2.70%, Stage 2 Loans -14%, +25% Profit 1Q24

By Daniel Tabbush

  • Shriram Finance (formerly Shriram Transport Finance) now includes two major subsidiaries in its numbers, in the listed entity, driving up AUM, ROA and net profit.
  • There is strong latent demand in India for pre-owned commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles, where SHTF focuses, with a long track record of good profit, ROA, NIM.
  • Underwriting seems strong given stage 3 and stage 2 loan data, and with funding cost improvements, from distribution of liabilities, good scope for profit growth, ROA, NIM.

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Most Read: E Guardian Inc, Taiwan Secom, KT&G Corporation, Boustead Plantations, China Vanke (H), Ecopro Co Ltd, Japan Rental Housing Investment, Kokusai Electric , Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation, Bharat Electronics and more

By | Daily Briefs, Most Read

In today’s briefing:

  • SBI Affiliate To Buy 45-49% of E-Guardian (6050) In Partial Tender Offer
  • Yuanta/​P-Shares Taiwan Dividend Plus ETF: 20% One-Way Turnover & US$2.72bn Trade
  • Alpha Generation Through Share Buybacks in Korea: August & September 2023
  • Boustead Plantations (BPLANT MK): A Transaction Mired in Political Debate
  • Quiddity A/H Premium Tracker (To Sep28): Hs Suffer Vs As Despite Inflows
  • Korean Holdcos Vs Opcos Gap Trading Opportunities in 4Q 2023
  • Daiwa Securities Living (8986 JP): Historical Post-Offering Performance Does Not Look Good At All
  • Kokusai Electric Pre-IPO – Peer Comparison
  • Vertex Technology’s Hybrid Arb
  • NIFTY50 Index Rebalance Preview: Two’s Company; Three’s A Crowd


SBI Affiliate To Buy 45-49% of E-Guardian (6050) In Partial Tender Offer

By Travis Lundy

  • Today, Change Inc (3962 JP) (30%-owned by SBI Holdings (8473 JP)) announced a Tender Offer to buy 32-36.9% of E-Guardian, followed by a third-party placement to get them to 45-49%.
  • Small cap E-Guardian does internet services support, ad processing, cyber security (their fastest growing segment) and top line has been growing.
  • The partial offer is big enough to matter, and up 50%. It is worth a look for people who like small cap special sits.

Yuanta/​P-Shares Taiwan Dividend Plus ETF: 20% One-Way Turnover & US$2.72bn Trade

By Brian Freitas

  • Using data from the close on 28 September, there could be 6 adds and 5 deletes to the Yuanta/​P-Shares Taiwan Dividend Plus ETF in December.
  • There will also be capping and funding flows that will lead to a one-way turnover of 19.8% and a one-way trade of US$1.36bn.
  • There are 15 stocks with at least 3 days ADV to trade from passive trackers and another 10 stocks that have at least 1-day ADV to trade.

Alpha Generation Through Share Buybacks in Korea: August & September 2023

By Douglas Kim

  • In this insight, we discuss the alpha generation through companies that announced share buybacks in Korea in August and September 2023.
  • We provide a list of 18 stocks in the Korean stock market that have announced share buyback programs in August and September 2023.
  • The top three market cap stocks that have announced share repurchases include Celltrion Inc (068270 KS), Celltrion Healthcare (091990 KS), and KT&G Corporation (033780 KS). 

Boustead Plantations (BPLANT MK): A Transaction Mired in Political Debate

By Arun George

  • Boustead Plantations (BPLANT MK) shares are down 16%, resulting in proprietary day trading and intraday short selling being suspended. The transaction is mired in political debate. 
  • The bull case is that Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK MK) continues on-market purchases and the opposition will compromise, paving the way for deal completion. Timing is the key risk. 
  • The bear case is a deal break. The downside is limited as the government will need another buyer, the shares trade below the undisturbed price, and the undemanding valuation. 

Quiddity A/H Premium Tracker (To Sep28): Hs Suffer Vs As Despite Inflows

By Travis Lundy

  • The Brand-Spanking New (8 weeks old) A-H Monitor has tables, charts, measures galore to track A/H premium positioning, southbound and northbound positioning in pairs over time, etc.
  • We used to do it. We brought it back better, with lots of cool interactive tables, and charts, heat maps, and comparative data. And 47 Trade Recommendations.
  • The last 7 weeks (since the start of the new Trcker and Portfolio 8 weeks ago) have seen net portfolio performance of +0.50%, +1.35%, +0.14%, +0.47%, +0.15%, +0.12%.

Korean Holdcos Vs Opcos Gap Trading Opportunities in 4Q 2023

By Douglas Kim

  • In this insight, we highlight the pricing gap divergences of the major Korean holdcos and opcos in 4Q 2023.
  • Of the 38 pair trades, 18 of them involved holdcos outperforming opcos YTD and 20 of them involved opcos outperforming holdcos in the same period.
  • We highlight 38 pair trades that involve Korean holdcos and opcos.

Daiwa Securities Living (8986 JP): Historical Post-Offering Performance Does Not Look Good At All

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • Midsize residential JREIT Daiwa Securities Living (8986 JP) (“DSLIC“) launched a follow-on equity offering to partially fund their recently-announced acquisitions.
  • The primary offer quantity will be 139,047 units and there will also be an over-allotment quantity of 6,953 units.
  • In this insight, we take a closer look at the details of this offering and the historical performance of DSLIC’s previous follow-on equity offerings.

Kokusai Electric Pre-IPO – Peer Comparison

By Sumeet Singh

  • KKR is looking to raise around US$750m via selling a stake in Kokusai Electric (6525 JP) (KE) in its Japan IPO.
  • KE main business activities consist of the manufacturing, sales and maintenance service of semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
  • In our previous notes we have looked at the company’s past performance. In this note, we will undertake a peer comparison.

Vertex Technology’s Hybrid Arb

By David Blennerhassett

  • Temasek-Backed Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation (VTAC SP), the first of three SPACs (so far) to list on the SGX, has announced a transaction to buy Taiwanese live-streaming platform, 17Live.  
  • Assuming the deal completes, potentially by year-end, the merged entity would be valued at ~S$1.16bn.
  • All independent shareholders are entitled to redemption rights. That is, you’ll get ~$5 back if redeeming against $4.96/share now. But liquidity is not great. Plus this appears a related-party transaction.

NIFTY50 Index Rebalance Preview: Two’s Company; Three’s A Crowd

By Brian Freitas

  • There should be two changes for the NIFTY Index (NIFTY INDEX) in March. That could increase to three, but that would take some big price moves from now to January.
  • Impact on the potential changes is pretty large at over 6 days of ADV to trade from passive trackers. The impact is over 11 days of delivery volume.
  • Inclusion of Avenue Supermarts Ltd (DMART IN) in the F&O segment before January could lead to another change.

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Daily Brief Japan: Japan Rental Housing Investment, Kasumigaseki Capital, Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • Daiwa Securities Living (8986 JP): Historical Post-Offering Performance Does Not Look Good At All
  • UPDATE: Kasumigaseki Capital (3498) Moving to TOPIX. Forward Earnings/Aggressive Forecast Surprise
  • Gap in Response to Disclosures in English Compared to the Growing Presence of Overseas Investors


Daiwa Securities Living (8986 JP): Historical Post-Offering Performance Does Not Look Good At All

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • Midsize residential JREIT Daiwa Securities Living (8986 JP) (“DSLIC“) launched a follow-on equity offering to partially fund their recently-announced acquisitions.
  • The primary offer quantity will be 139,047 units and there will also be an over-allotment quantity of 6,953 units.
  • In this insight, we take a closer look at the details of this offering and the historical performance of DSLIC’s previous follow-on equity offerings.

UPDATE: Kasumigaseki Capital (3498) Moving to TOPIX. Forward Earnings/Aggressive Forecast Surprise

By Travis Lundy

  • Over the weekend I wrote about Kasumigaseki Capital (3498 JP)‘s move to TSE Prime and then move to TOPIX. I noted earnings would be out 3 October.  
  • I talked about the possibility of a surprise. They had revised full-year to end-Sep to ¥2bn. They got ¥2.05bn. 
  • But after growing revenue 79% last year, and growing net profit 101%, this year they expect revs +60% and Net Profit +144%. 

Gap in Response to Disclosures in English Compared to the Growing Presence of Overseas Investors

By Aki Matsumoto

  • Overseas investors feel that the disclosure of English documents by Japanese companies is slow-paced and the majority of overseas investors are not satisfied with the English disclosure.
  • Without sufficient disclosures in English, it is impossible to conduct a detailed analysis of the portfolio company. This also casts a shadow over engagement.
  • Given the narrowing coverage of sell-side analysts, companies should proactively disclose English-language materials at the earliest possible time. For long-term investors, English-language disclosures such as annual securities reports are also useful.

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Daily Brief Quantitative Analysis: Hong Kong Connect Flows: $7.3bn of Inflows in September and more

By | Daily Briefs, Quantitative Analysis

In today’s briefing:

  • Hong Kong Connect Flows: $7.3bn of Inflows in September
  • Northbound Flows Monthly (September): $5.3bn of Outflows


Hong Kong Connect Flows: $7.3bn of Inflows in September

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • We analyze the monthly Hong Kong Connect flows with our data engine.
  • We tabulate the top stocks by inflows, outflows, and holding by mainland investors.
  • We highlight inflows into ICBC,  CCB, Meituan, Innovent Biologics, Xpeng and outflows from Petrochina.

Northbound Flows Monthly (September): $5.3bn of Outflows

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • We analyze the monthly Shanghai/Shenzhen northbound Connect flows with our data engine.
  • We estimate the outflows to be $5.3bn in September and consumer discretionary, and health care sectors led the inflows.
  • We highlight inflows into BYD, Bank Of Jiangsu, Wuxi Apptec and outflows from CATL, Moutai, Wuliangye.

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Daily Brief Event-Driven: BPlant/KLK: This Is Getting (Even More) Political and more

By | Daily Briefs, Event-Driven

In today’s briefing:

  • BPlant/KLK: This Is Getting (Even More) Political
  • Boustead Plantations (BPLANT MK): A Transaction Mired in Political Debate
  • Yuanta/​P-Shares Taiwan Dividend Plus ETF: 20% One-Way Turnover & US$2.72bn Trade
  • Alpha Generation Through Share Buybacks in Korea: August & September 2023
  • Hollysys (HOLI US): Board Starts a Formal Sale Process
  • Symbio: Aussie Broadband Lobs Competing NBIO
  • Quiddity A/H Premium Tracker (To Sep28): Hs Suffer Vs As Despite Inflows
  • EQD | S&P/ASX200 Index Stuck, But Could Bounce Soon


BPlant/KLK: This Is Getting (Even More) Political

By David Blennerhassett

  • On the 24 August, Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK MK) entered an agreement with Boustead Holdings (BHB), Boustead Plantations (BPLANT MK)‘s largest shareholder, to acquire a 33% plus 1 share stake.
  • Upon the completion of the agreement, KLK – together with BHB and LTAT – would make a Mandatory Offer for BPlant. The Offer Price would be RM1.55/share, a lifetime high
  • It all looked pretty straightforward. However the BHB/LTAT agreement has twice been delayed. This may still get done. But there remain a number of political kinks to be ironed out. 

Boustead Plantations (BPLANT MK): A Transaction Mired in Political Debate

By Arun George

  • Boustead Plantations (BPLANT MK) shares are down 16%, resulting in proprietary day trading and intraday short selling being suspended. The transaction is mired in political debate. 
  • The bull case is that Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK MK) continues on-market purchases and the opposition will compromise, paving the way for deal completion. Timing is the key risk. 
  • The bear case is a deal break. The downside is limited as the government will need another buyer, the shares trade below the undisturbed price, and the undemanding valuation. 

Yuanta/​P-Shares Taiwan Dividend Plus ETF: 20% One-Way Turnover & US$2.72bn Trade

By Brian Freitas

  • Using data from the close on 28 September, there could be 6 adds and 5 deletes to the Yuanta/​P-Shares Taiwan Dividend Plus ETF in December.
  • There will also be capping and funding flows that will lead to a one-way turnover of 19.8% and a one-way trade of US$1.36bn.
  • There are 15 stocks with at least 3 days ADV to trade from passive trackers and another 10 stocks that have at least 1-day ADV to trade.

Alpha Generation Through Share Buybacks in Korea: August & September 2023

By Douglas Kim

  • In this insight, we discuss the alpha generation through companies that announced share buybacks in Korea in August and September 2023.
  • We provide a list of 18 stocks in the Korean stock market that have announced share buyback programs in August and September 2023.
  • The top three market cap stocks that have announced share repurchases include Celltrion Inc (068270 KS), Celltrion Healthcare (091990 KS), and KT&G Corporation (033780 KS). 

Hollysys (HOLI US): Board Starts a Formal Sale Process

By Arun George

  • The Hollysys Automation Technologies (HOLI US) Board succumbs to shareholder pressure by announcing the formation of a special committee to conduct a formal sale process.
  • Hollysys has received non-binding proposals from six parties since December 2020. The most recent is a non-binding proposal from the Recco consortium at US$25.00 per share.
  • The Board’s change of heart should encourage previous bidders to re-engage. Recco’s offer, while attractive, is not a knockout bid, suggesting a possible bidding war. 

Symbio: Aussie Broadband Lobs Competing NBIO

By David Blennerhassett

  • On the 22 September, Symbio Holdings (SYM AU) received a best and final NBIO from Superloop Ltd (SLC AU) : A$1.425 cash and 2.14 Superloop shares for each Symbio share.
  • Those indicative terms backed out an implied price of A$2.85/share, or a 20% premium to undisturbed.  Now Aussie Broadband (ABB AU) has snuck in with a superior cash/scrip Offer.
  • The competing Offer’s implied consideration of A$3.151/share boasts a larger cash component vs. Superloop.  Symbio’s board is supportive if terms are firmed. Superloop’s Offer has now lapsed. 

Quiddity A/H Premium Tracker (To Sep28): Hs Suffer Vs As Despite Inflows

By Travis Lundy

  • The Brand-Spanking New (8 weeks old) A-H Monitor has tables, charts, measures galore to track A/H premium positioning, southbound and northbound positioning in pairs over time, etc.
  • We used to do it. We brought it back better, with lots of cool interactive tables, and charts, heat maps, and comparative data. And 47 Trade Recommendations.
  • The last 7 weeks (since the start of the new Trcker and Portfolio 8 weeks ago) have seen net portfolio performance of +0.50%, +1.35%, +0.14%, +0.47%, +0.15%, +0.12%.

EQD | S&P/ASX200 Index Stuck, But Could Bounce Soon

By Nico Rosti

  • The S&P/ASX 200 INDEX is trading below the Q3 WEEKLY support at 7072 (OVERSOLD). It closed down 2 weeks in a row (CC=-2) and this week is also down (CC=-3).
  • As previously discussed the index is stuck in a range since August 2021, but from a short-term tactical viewpoint it could bounce soon, still remaining in range.
  • Current support range is 7072-6900, there is a good chance to see a bounce from this area within 2 weeks.

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