Category

Daily Briefs

Daily Brief Utilities: CK Infrastructure Holdings and more

By | Daily Briefs, Utilities Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • StubWorld: CK Infra Vs. Power Assets


StubWorld: CK Infra Vs. Power Assets

By David Blennerhassett

  • Because of significant business overlap, CK Infrastructure Holdings (1038 HK) looks very similar to Power Assets Holdings (6 HK). And CKI is coming up cheap on my monitor versus PAH. 
  • Preceding my comments on CKI/PAH are the current setup/unwind tables for Asia-Pacific Holdcos.
  • These relationships trade with a minimum liquidity of US$1mn, and a % market capitalisation >20%.

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Daily Brief Industrials: Toyo Construction, DISCO Corp, Ryobi Ltd, HMM Co., Ltd., Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation Co. Ltd. (H) and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • Toyo Construction (1890 JP): YFO’s Potential Revised Offer at JPY1,255
  • Disco (6146 JP): Rolling Over
  • Ryobi (5851) | Re-Rating as Die-Casting Becomes Gigacasting
  • Seizing a Trading Opportunity Aimed at HMM’s New Stock Listing Date
  • COSCO Shipping Energy (1138 HK): Clearly Over-Optimistic


Toyo Construction (1890 JP): YFO’s Potential Revised Offer at JPY1,255

By Arun George

  • YFO has returned with a potential tender offer price of JPY1,255 per share for Toyo Construction (1890 JP), 25.5% above its previous offer of JPY1,000 per share.
  • The offer is conditional on due diligence access to confirm the feasibility of the medium-term management plan and no material accounting, tax, or legal issues.
  • The due diligence will take a month, with the offer expected to commence in late December. Expect due diligence access as the revised offer represents a 10-year high. 

Disco (6146 JP): Rolling Over

By Scott Foster

  • After more than doubling between early April and the end of August, Disco has dropped back. The outlook for demand and valuations suggest potential downside of 20%. 
  • Operating profit was down 21% YoY in the June quarter on a 10% decline in sales. Management is guiding for 18% and 32% declines this quarter. 
  • Over-Optimistic expectations regarding the pace and degree of cyclical recovery are being squeezed out of the share price. 

Ryobi (5851) | Re-Rating as Die-Casting Becomes Gigacasting

By Mark Chadwick

  • Ryobi is a global manufacturer of high-quality aluminum die castings used for transmission cases, engine parts, and other vehicle parts
  • Ryobi has recently gained market attention following an announcement that the company will produce large electric-vehicle body parts using “gigacasting”
  • The stock is expected to benefit from EV adoption with improved earnings and increased market recognition

Seizing a Trading Opportunity Aimed at HMM’s New Stock Listing Date

By Sanghyun Park

  • Should the stock conversion decision be reached this week, the new shares will be listed on the 15th of the upcoming month. So, they will officially debut on October 16th.
  • On the day of the new share listing during the immediate previous case, the price dropped by 2.36%, and on the very next trading day, it declined by 3.72%.
  • Given the present dilution rate of 30%, there is a higher probability of even more pronounced price movements in the same direction.

COSCO Shipping Energy (1138 HK): Clearly Over-Optimistic

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation (1138 HK) has rallied sharply on strong earnings recovery, but this is too excessive. We think unrealistic expectation has been built on 2H23 earnings.
  • Over the last three months, the spot VLCC rate has collapsed by 90%, indicating a weakened demand outlook. The resilient share price has clearly not yet factored in this movement. 
  • The recent surge in crude oil is driven by supply, not demand, factors. This has led to a 14% increase in bunker price which will heighten CSET’s fuel bill.  

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Daily Brief Energy/Materials: EcoPro Materials, Synthomer PLC, Jericho Energy Ventures , Pulsar Helium and more

By | Daily Briefs, Energy & Materials Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • EcoPro Materials: IPO & Index Inclusion
  • Quiddity Leaderboard SE600 Dec 23: 7 Changes Possible Including Two Intra-Review Changes
  • JEV: Reiterating Target Price on Recent Developments
  • Pulsar Helium Inc. (TSX-V: PLSR): About to Start Drilling High Impact Well


EcoPro Materials: IPO & Index Inclusion

By Brian Freitas

  • EcoPro Materials (ECO123 KS) was founded in 2017 and specializes in manufacturing cathode material precursors, a core material for lithium secondary cells.
  • EcoPro Materials (ECO123 KS) could raise between US$387m-US$492m, valuing the company between US$1.9bn-US$2.42bn. Float will depend on voluntary lock-ups and allocation to strategic investors.
  • Inclusion in global indices is likely to take place between February to June, while the highest probability of Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 (KOSPI2 INDEX) inclusion is in December 2024.

Quiddity Leaderboard SE600 Dec 23: 7 Changes Possible Including Two Intra-Review Changes

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • In this insight, we take a look at the names leading the race to become ADDs/DELETEs for the SE600 and EURSTX Indices for the December 2023 Rebalance.
  • There could be up to seven index changes in the run up to the December 2023 rebalance.
  • This includes a couple of intra-review index changes that could be triggered by the Dechra Pharmaceuticals (DPH LN) and Chr Hansen Holding A/S (CHR DC) takeover situations.

JEV: Reiterating Target Price on Recent Developments

By Atrium Research

  • Portfolio company, H2U announced strong results from durability tests on a new iridium-free catalyst which demonstrated a lifetime of over 25,000 hours (vs. 1,000-1,500 for current iridium-free catalysts).
  • JEV’s EU partner, Exogen signed an MOU with leading green hydrogen supplier, Lhyfe SA which will supply hydrogen to Exogen’s hydrogen steam plant (which includes the DCC boiler).
  • HT obtained a new patent for the DCC boiler in the U.S

Pulsar Helium Inc. (TSX-V: PLSR): About to Start Drilling High Impact Well

By Auctus Advisors

  • Pulsar has signed a rig contract with Capstar drilling to drill a high impact appraisal well at Topaz.
  • The well will twin an existing well than encountered and flowed helium at high rate (10.5% helium concentration).
  • The program is for one well, with the option to drill a second well at the company’s option.

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Daily Brief Health Care: Entero Healthcare Solutions Limited, Celltrion , Sipai Health Technology, Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix, UMP Healthcare and more

By | Daily Briefs, Healthcare

In today’s briefing:

  • Entero Healthcare Solutions Pre-IPO Tearsheet
  • Celltrion (068270 KP): Improving Base Business Is Being Overlooked by Mr. Market Amid Merger Noises
  • Sipai Health Technology (314.HK) – Valuation Has Collapsed, but a Reversal Is Not yet in Sight
  • Need to Increase Human Capital Investment as Soon as Possible to Move to High Value-Added Businesses
  • UMP Healthcare 722 HK: Weak Q4 Lead to A Disappointing FY23, Worst Behind Us


Entero Healthcare Solutions Pre-IPO Tearsheet

By Clarence Chu

  • Entero Healthcare Solutions Limited (2294842D IN)  is looking to raise US$200m in its upcoming India IPO. The bookrunners on the deal are ICICI Securities, DAM Capital, Jefferies, JM Financial, SBI Capital.
  • Entero Healthcare Solutions (Entero) is a healthcare products distributor in India.
  • As per the CRISIL report in the DRHP, Entero is amongst the top three healthcare products distributors in India in terms of FY22 revenue.

Celltrion (068270 KP): Improving Base Business Is Being Overlooked by Mr. Market Amid Merger Noises

By Tina Banerjee

  • As Celltrion (068270 KP) approaches merger clarity, focus will shift to its base business, which remains solid. In Q2 2023, biosimilar, the flagship business, reported a 10% YoY growth.
  • Operating profit margin expanded 440bps YoY to 34.9%. Margins are expected to improve further through increasing contribution from high-margin products such as Yuflyma (Humira biosimilar) and Remsima SC.
  • Celltrion expects to receive approval for Remsima SC in the U.S. by end of October, which should act as a major catalyst. By 2030, merged entity targets revenue of KRW12T.

Sipai Health Technology (314.HK) – Valuation Has Collapsed, but a Reversal Is Not yet in Sight

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • The reason why there are many doubts about Sipai is that its Specialty Pharmacy Business accounts for dominant proportion of total revenue but is almost difficult to make a profit.
  • Sipai’s SMO business revenue will be difficult to grow at scale due to industry characteristics and the Health Insurance Services business is too small to bring substantial changes to performance.
  • Sipai’s revenue structure/business model is difficult to improve in the short term. So it’s not surprising if Sipai suffers long-term losses. Its valuation should be lower than that of ClouDr.

Need to Increase Human Capital Investment as Soon as Possible to Move to High Value-Added Businesses

By Aki Matsumoto

  • The question is whether companies can achieve results by increasing investment to secure and train human resources who can contribute to transitioning to a business that produces high value-added products.
  • Regarding the disclosure of human capital, many issues remain, such as the lack of unified definition of the required items and the inability to use this data as comparable data.
  • Percentage of women in managerial positions is more serious. The lack of on-the-job training for women is an on-going issue that makes the path to future managerial positions more difficult.

UMP Healthcare 722 HK: Weak Q4 Lead to A Disappointing FY23, Worst Behind Us

By Sameer Taneja

  • UMP Healthcare (722 HK) reported FY23 profits down 26% YoY at 55 mn HKD, impacted by preoperating expenses and an impairment cumulatively of 40 mn HKD. 
  • A slow Q4 FY23 didn’t help either; revenues came in flat HoH instead of up 10% as our expectations and costs increased resulting in margin compression. 
  • We believe the worst is behind us. The stock trades at 5.9x FY24 PE, with ~50% of the market cap in cash and an FY24 dividend yield of 8.5%.

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Daily Brief Industrials: Toyo Construction, DISCO Corp, Ryobi Ltd, HMM Co., Ltd., Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation Co. Ltd. (H) and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • Toyo Construction (1890 JP): YFO’s Potential Revised Offer at JPY1,255
  • Disco (6146 JP): Rolling Over
  • Ryobi (5851) | Re-Rating as Die-Casting Becomes Gigacasting
  • Seizing a Trading Opportunity Aimed at HMM’s New Stock Listing Date
  • COSCO Shipping Energy (1138 HK): Clearly Over-Optimistic


Toyo Construction (1890 JP): YFO’s Potential Revised Offer at JPY1,255

By Arun George

  • YFO has returned with a potential tender offer price of JPY1,255 per share for Toyo Construction (1890 JP), 25.5% above its previous offer of JPY1,000 per share.
  • The offer is conditional on due diligence access to confirm the feasibility of the medium-term management plan and no material accounting, tax, or legal issues.
  • The due diligence will take a month, with the offer expected to commence in late December. Expect due diligence access as the revised offer represents a 10-year high. 

Disco (6146 JP): Rolling Over

By Scott Foster

  • After more than doubling between early April and the end of August, Disco has dropped back. The outlook for demand and valuations suggest potential downside of 20%. 
  • Operating profit was down 21% YoY in the June quarter on a 10% decline in sales. Management is guiding for 18% and 32% declines this quarter. 
  • Over-Optimistic expectations regarding the pace and degree of cyclical recovery are being squeezed out of the share price. 

Ryobi (5851) | Re-Rating as Die-Casting Becomes Gigacasting

By Mark Chadwick

  • Ryobi is a global manufacturer of high-quality aluminum die castings used for transmission cases, engine parts, and other vehicle parts
  • Ryobi has recently gained market attention following an announcement that the company will produce large electric-vehicle body parts using “gigacasting”
  • The stock is expected to benefit from EV adoption with improved earnings and increased market recognition

Seizing a Trading Opportunity Aimed at HMM’s New Stock Listing Date

By Sanghyun Park

  • Should the stock conversion decision be reached this week, the new shares will be listed on the 15th of the upcoming month. So, they will officially debut on October 16th.
  • On the day of the new share listing during the immediate previous case, the price dropped by 2.36%, and on the very next trading day, it declined by 3.72%.
  • Given the present dilution rate of 30%, there is a higher probability of even more pronounced price movements in the same direction.

COSCO Shipping Energy (1138 HK): Clearly Over-Optimistic

By Osbert Tang, CFA

  • Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation (1138 HK) has rallied sharply on strong earnings recovery, but this is too excessive. We think unrealistic expectation has been built on 2H23 earnings.
  • Over the last three months, the spot VLCC rate has collapsed by 90%, indicating a weakened demand outlook. The resilient share price has clearly not yet factored in this movement. 
  • The recent surge in crude oil is driven by supply, not demand, factors. This has led to a 14% increase in bunker price which will heighten CSET’s fuel bill.  

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Daily Brief TMT/Internet: Kokusai Electric , Sea , Boku Inc and more

By | Daily Briefs, TMT/Internet

In today’s briefing:

  • Kokusai Electric IPO: The Bull Case
  • Sea Ltd (SE US) – Glass Half Full Again?
  • Boku – Upgraded outlook for FY23


Kokusai Electric IPO: The Bull Case

By Arun George

  • Kokusai Electric (6525 JP) is a speciality manufacturer of semiconductor production equipment. KKR & (KKR US) seeks to raise about US$750 million through listing Kokusai.   
  • Kokusai has the leading market share in the batch deposition equipment market and the second largest market share in the treatment equipment market, according to TechInsights and Gartner.
  • The key elements of the bull case rest on a leading market share, strong IP, healthy forward revenue indicators, increasing recurring service revenue, solid gross margin trends and modest leverage.

Sea Ltd (SE US) – Glass Half Full Again?

By Angus Mackintosh

  • The news that the Indonesian Government will target social commerce in Indonesia, as well as placing additional scrutiny on imported products sold through digital channels will impact TikTok hard.
  • TikTok Shop will not be allowed to operate in Indonesia in its present guise given the requirement to split social media and e-commerce, which will benefit peers Shopee and Tokopedia.
  • Sea Ltd through Shopee will be the biggest beneficiary given it will require less promotional spending in Indonesia and it has also re-entered the Indian market with FreeFire. 

Boku – Upgraded outlook for FY23

By Edison Investment Research

Boku reported H123 revenue growth of 26% y-o-y to $38.2m, with a growing and now material contribution from local payment methods (LPMs). Adjusted EBITDA was 28% higher and the margin expanded by 0.7pp, as upside from higher revenues was partially offset by further investment to support LPMs. We have revised up our forecasts to reflect faster growth in total payment volumes (TPV) partially offset by higher investment in Boku’s payments network.


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Daily Brief Consumer: Kanzhun, Dongwon Industries, Yakult Honsha, Gree Electric Appliances, adidas , Dollar Index and more

By | Consumer, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Kanzhun (2076 HK): A Monitor of Job Market in China
  • Three IPO Candidates of the Dongwon Group (StarKist, Dongwon Loex, and Dongwon Home Food)
  • Japan Consumer Staples Update: Inflation Looks a Blessing in Disguise for Those with Pricing Power
  • Gree (000651 CH):  Resilient Fundamentals; Rerating Potential In A Low Interest Rate Environment
  • Adidas: All The Ingredients To Win
  • U.S. Dollar (DXY) And Treasury Yields Breaking Out; Growing Number of Index/Sector Breakdowns


Kanzhun (2076 HK): A Monitor of Job Market in China

By Ming Lu

  • Kanzhun or Boss Zhipin, is the largest online recruiting platform for white collar workers.
  • Users exceeded servers’ capacity for the third time this year.
  • The positive signal is that recruiters began to grow in 2Q23.

Three IPO Candidates of the Dongwon Group (StarKist, Dongwon Loex, and Dongwon Home Food)

By Douglas Kim

  • It was reported in the local Korean media that the Dongwon Group is considering on listing three private companies including Starkist, Dongwon Loex, and Dongwon Home Food.
  • Prior to their IPOs, Dongwon Group is reviewing the potential of selling partial stakes in these companies in pre-IPO investments.
  • One of the major purposes of the IPOs would be to gain access to more capital which could be used by the Dongwon Group to acquire HMM. 

Japan Consumer Staples Update: Inflation Looks a Blessing in Disguise for Those with Pricing Power

By Oshadhi Kumarasiri

  • Japanese inflation, which peaked at 4.3% in January 2023, gradually decreased to 3.5%, 3.2%, 3.3%, 3.3%, and 3.2% in the subsequent months of 2023.
  • Inflation rates remained stable for most items, excluding Fuel, Electricity, Water, and fresh vegetables, indicating the persistence of cost-push inflation.
  • In this insight, we analyze the recent quarterly performance of Yakult, Nissin, and Seven & I, Japanese Consumer Staples companies discussed in our prior Smartkarma Original.

Gree (000651 CH):  Resilient Fundamentals; Rerating Potential In A Low Interest Rate Environment

By Steve Zhou, CFA

  • Gree Electric Appliances (000651 CH) trades at the lowest valuation multiple among the three major home appliance companies in China, at 7x forward PE and 7% forward yield.
  • Investment case rests on stable earnings growth and high dividend payout and yield, which works well in a low interest rate environment in China.
  • Resiliency of earnings for Gree is under-appreciated by the market, making rerating possible.

Adidas: All The Ingredients To Win

By Alexis Dwek

  • Adidas has all the ingredients to win: “a great brand, credibility, authenticity, innovation, collaborations, talented people, and a global network”.
  • Adidas operates in a highly attractive industry as it benefits from a structural growth from sports, which is playing an increasingly important role in more and more people’s lives
  • Although 2023 is a transition year, the following years are very promising in terms of sales, margins, and earnings development.

U.S. Dollar (DXY) And Treasury Yields Breaking Out; Growing Number of Index/Sector Breakdowns

By Joe Jasper

  • We’ve expected to see 4300-4325 act as major support on SPX, while also expecting consolidation between 4300-4325 support and 4600 resistance until the end of September, and possibly longer.
  • Still possible this 4300-4325 support holds, but odds of a deeper pullback to SPX 4165-4200/the 200-day MA have increased following major breakouts in the U.S. dollar (DXY) and Treasury yields 
  • Also adding to concerns: 1+ year uptrend violations on $IWO/$IWP, and breakdowns below 34,280 on the Dow, $180 on IWM, $472 on SOXX, $81 on ITB, and $104-$105 on XLI

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Daily Brief Financials: Rakuten Bank , Sun Hung Kai Properties, Tian Tu Capital, IDFC First Bank Limited, Bitcoin, Aroundtown , Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200, Bajaj Finance Ltd, Onewo , Yuexiu Property and more

By | Daily Briefs, Financials

In today’s briefing:

  • Rakuten Bank (5838) One Month Later
  • Hong Kong CEO & Director Dealings (26 Sept): Kwoks Buying Sun Hung Kai; ED Selling Yantai North
  • Tian Tu Capital IPO – Even with a Wide Price Range, Upside Seems Limited
  • IDFC First Bank Early Look – Likely to Be an Accretive Deal but Not Particularly Cheap
  • The JPEX Debacle Placed Hong Kong’s Ambition to Become a Global Virtual Assets Centre in Doubt
  • Quiddity Leaderboard-DAX Dec 23: One MDAX Change and Three SDAX Changes Possible
  • EQD | KOSPI 200 Index Getting OVERSOLD
  • Bajaj Finance US$1bn QIP Early Look -Doesn’t Really Need the Raise, All past Deals Have Done Well
  • Onewo IPO Lock-Up – US$1bn+ Lockup Release, Parent Could Still Sell
  • Morning Views Asia: Vedanta Resources, Yuexiu Property


Rakuten Bank (5838) One Month Later

By Travis Lundy

  • On 31 August, I published Rakuten Bank (5838) – 4 Months On, Volume Decay and RB’s Place Among Banks. It’s up 40.6% since the day after I wrote, reasons unclear.  
  • TOPIX Banks Index is up 10.4% since then, with post-BOJ meeting price movements indicating a kind of momiai.
  • For Rakuten Bank, while growth means it may not be “expensive” it is no longer dirt cheap. And I cannot identify the culprit, so time to take profits. 

Hong Kong CEO & Director Dealings (26 Sept): Kwoks Buying Sun Hung Kai; ED Selling Yantai North

By David Blennerhassett

  • The data in this insight is collated from the “shareholding disclosure” link on the HKEx website.
  • Often there is a corresponding HKEx announcement on the increase – or decrease – in the shareholding by directors. Or pledging. However, such disclosures are by no means an absolute.
  • The key stocks mentioned in this regular insight are Sun Hung Kai Properties (16 HK) and Yantai North Andre Juice H (2218 HK).

Tian Tu Capital IPO – Even with a Wide Price Range, Upside Seems Limited

By Clarence Chu

  • Tian Tu Capital (1390587D CH) is looking to raise up to US$253m in its Hong Kong IPO.
  • Tian Tu Capital (TTC) is a private equity/venture capital investor and fund manager with a focus on Chinese consumer brands and companies.
  • In this note, we will look at the updates since our last note and share our thoughts on valuation.

IDFC First Bank Early Look – Likely to Be an Accretive Deal but Not Particularly Cheap

By Ethan Aw

  • IDFC First Bank Limited (IDFCBK IN) plans to launch a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) of up to INR30bn (US$362m) in Oct 23, as per media reports. 
  • On 22nd Sep 23, IFR had reported that IDFC First Bank is looking to launch a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) to raise up to INR30bn (US$362m) in Oct 23. 
  • In this note, we will talk about the possible placement and other deal dynamics.

The JPEX Debacle Placed Hong Kong’s Ambition to Become a Global Virtual Assets Centre in Doubt

By Fern Wang

  • JPEX may be the biggest financial fraud in Hong Kong’s history, impacting government’s ambition to become a global centre for virtual assets
  • SFC appeared to have no direct jurisdiction and powerless in the protection of investors in the JPEX case
  • Web 3.0 and Virtual Assets are rapidly evolving, regulators may need to take a more dynamic approach in regulating such activities

Quiddity Leaderboard-DAX Dec 23: One MDAX Change and Three SDAX Changes Possible

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • In this insight, we take a look at the names leading the race to become ADDs/DELETEs for the DAX, MDAX, and SDAX Indices in the September 2023 Rebalance.
  • I currently do not see any index changes for DAX but Fresenius Medical Care & (FME GR) and Zalando (ZAL GR) are close to being an ADD and DELETE respectively.
  • I see one change for the MDAX index. Separately, there could be up to three SDAX change in the run up to the December 2023 review including one intra-review change.

EQD | KOSPI 200 Index Getting OVERSOLD

By Nico Rosti

  • The KOSPI 200 INDEX closed down last week (CC=-1) and is currently down this week as well (CC=-2 to be confirmed on Friday), currently approaching Q3 support at 324.
  • Based on Market Reversal Matrix time/price models, if this week the KOSPI closes down at <=324, the index will have a >75% probability to close the next week up.
  • Going LONG is not without risk at this stage: this pattern is not bullish, the correction could reach <300, based on the models, but the index is getting OVERSOLD.

Bajaj Finance US$1bn QIP Early Look -Doesn’t Really Need the Raise, All past Deals Have Done Well

By Sumeet Singh

  • Bajaj Finance Ltd (BAF IN), one of India’s largest NBFCs, aims to raise up to US$1bn via a QIP.
  • Bajaj Finance is an NBFC offering auto, consumer and home loans, along with other products as well.
  • In this note, we talk about the deal dynamics and recent updates.

Onewo IPO Lock-Up – US$1bn+ Lockup Release, Parent Could Still Sell

By Sumeet Singh

  • Onewo (2602 HK) (OST) had raised around US$730m in its Hong Kong IPO in Sep 2022. Its one-year lockup is set to expire soon.
  • OST is a property management service provider in China, primarily owned by China Vanke (H) (2202 HK).
  • In this note, we will talk about the lock-up dynamics and updates since our last note.

Morning Views Asia: Vedanta Resources, Yuexiu Property

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: Rakuten Bank , Toyo Construction, Kokusai Electric , DISCO Corp, Ryobi Ltd, Yakult Honsha, Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • Rakuten Bank (5838) One Month Later
  • Toyo Construction (1890 JP): YFO’s Potential Revised Offer at JPY1,255
  • Kokusai Electric IPO: The Bull Case
  • Disco (6146 JP): Rolling Over
  • Ryobi (5851) | Re-Rating as Die-Casting Becomes Gigacasting
  • Japan Consumer Staples Update: Inflation Looks a Blessing in Disguise for Those with Pricing Power
  • Need to Increase Human Capital Investment as Soon as Possible to Move to High Value-Added Businesses


Rakuten Bank (5838) One Month Later

By Travis Lundy

  • On 31 August, I published Rakuten Bank (5838) – 4 Months On, Volume Decay and RB’s Place Among Banks. It’s up 40.6% since the day after I wrote, reasons unclear.  
  • TOPIX Banks Index is up 10.4% since then, with post-BOJ meeting price movements indicating a kind of momiai.
  • For Rakuten Bank, while growth means it may not be “expensive” it is no longer dirt cheap. And I cannot identify the culprit, so time to take profits. 

Toyo Construction (1890 JP): YFO’s Potential Revised Offer at JPY1,255

By Arun George

  • YFO has returned with a potential tender offer price of JPY1,255 per share for Toyo Construction (1890 JP), 25.5% above its previous offer of JPY1,000 per share.
  • The offer is conditional on due diligence access to confirm the feasibility of the medium-term management plan and no material accounting, tax, or legal issues.
  • The due diligence will take a month, with the offer expected to commence in late December. Expect due diligence access as the revised offer represents a 10-year high. 

Kokusai Electric IPO: The Bull Case

By Arun George

  • Kokusai Electric (6525 JP) is a speciality manufacturer of semiconductor production equipment. KKR & (KKR US) seeks to raise about US$750 million through listing Kokusai.   
  • Kokusai has the leading market share in the batch deposition equipment market and the second largest market share in the treatment equipment market, according to TechInsights and Gartner.
  • The key elements of the bull case rest on a leading market share, strong IP, healthy forward revenue indicators, increasing recurring service revenue, solid gross margin trends and modest leverage.

Disco (6146 JP): Rolling Over

By Scott Foster

  • After more than doubling between early April and the end of August, Disco has dropped back. The outlook for demand and valuations suggest potential downside of 20%. 
  • Operating profit was down 21% YoY in the June quarter on a 10% decline in sales. Management is guiding for 18% and 32% declines this quarter. 
  • Over-Optimistic expectations regarding the pace and degree of cyclical recovery are being squeezed out of the share price. 

Ryobi (5851) | Re-Rating as Die-Casting Becomes Gigacasting

By Mark Chadwick

  • Ryobi is a global manufacturer of high-quality aluminum die castings used for transmission cases, engine parts, and other vehicle parts
  • Ryobi has recently gained market attention following an announcement that the company will produce large electric-vehicle body parts using “gigacasting”
  • The stock is expected to benefit from EV adoption with improved earnings and increased market recognition

Japan Consumer Staples Update: Inflation Looks a Blessing in Disguise for Those with Pricing Power

By Oshadhi Kumarasiri

  • Japanese inflation, which peaked at 4.3% in January 2023, gradually decreased to 3.5%, 3.2%, 3.3%, 3.3%, and 3.2% in the subsequent months of 2023.
  • Inflation rates remained stable for most items, excluding Fuel, Electricity, Water, and fresh vegetables, indicating the persistence of cost-push inflation.
  • In this insight, we analyze the recent quarterly performance of Yakult, Nissin, and Seven & I, Japanese Consumer Staples companies discussed in our prior Smartkarma Original.

Need to Increase Human Capital Investment as Soon as Possible to Move to High Value-Added Businesses

By Aki Matsumoto

  • The question is whether companies can achieve results by increasing investment to secure and train human resources who can contribute to transitioning to a business that produces high value-added products.
  • Regarding the disclosure of human capital, many issues remain, such as the lack of unified definition of the required items and the inability to use this data as comparable data.
  • Percentage of women in managerial positions is more serious. The lack of on-the-job training for women is an on-going issue that makes the path to future managerial positions more difficult.

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Most Read: Lasertec Corp, Alibaba (ADR), Kokusai Electric , Rakuten Bank , Zhejiang Leapmotor Technologie, Toyo Construction, EcoPro Materials and more

By | Daily Briefs, Most Read

In today’s briefing:

  • The Biggish Sep 2023 “Wednesday-Thursday Trade” With Added Monday/Friday Flavour
  • Alibaba Potential IPOs – Part 2 – An Early Look at Cainiao, US$10bn+
  • Alibaba’s Cainiao IPO: The First Look
  • Kokusai Electric (6525 JP) IPO – Index Demand On The Follow
  • Rakuten Bank (5838) One Month Later
  • Leapmotor IPO Lock-Up – US$3.3bn Lockup Expiry, Everyone in the Money, CCASS Movement to Boot
  • YFO Reloads Toyo Construction Takeover Proposal at ¥1255/Share
  • EcoPro Materials: IPO & Index Inclusion
  • Kokusai Electric Pre-IPO – The Negatives – Can’t Avoid the Cycles
  • Toyo Construction (1890 JP): YFO’s Potential Revised Offer at JPY1,255


The Biggish Sep 2023 “Wednesday-Thursday Trade” With Added Monday/Friday Flavour

By Travis Lundy

  • Every year it’s the same trade. This year it is Wednesday and Thursday. There are risks to the analysis – notably allocation.
  • But there may be ¥800bn+ to buy on one day into the close later this month (+ another ¥200-300bn on two other days). Then a ¥500bn sell two days later.
  • Over the past ten years, the two day return on the March trade is great. In Sep, not so much. This year there are Extra Special Flows.

Alibaba Potential IPOs – Part 2 – An Early Look at Cainiao, US$10bn+

By Sumeet Singh

  • On 28th Mar 2023, Alibaba (ADR) (BABA US) announced that it would adopt a new organizational and governance structure, splitting into six major business groups and other investments.
  • Alibaba also stated that each of the business groups would be set up as an independent entity with its own board and the groups will eventually seek to list.
  • In our previous note, we highlighted which division could list. In this note, we will look at Cainiao.

Alibaba’s Cainiao IPO: The First Look

By Arun George

  • Alibaba (ADR) (BABA US) aims to complete the IPO of Cainiao Smart Logistics (1437124D HK) in the next 12 to 18 months. Alibaba holds a 67% stake in Cainiao. 
  • Cainiao’s revenue growth, while on a declining trend, remains in double digits. Encouragingly. narrowing losses set a path to profitability.
  • On 30 March, Bloomberg reported that Cainiao is currently valued at more than US$20 billion. Our valuation analysis suggests that such a valuation is justifiable.

Kokusai Electric (6525 JP) IPO – Index Demand On The Follow

By Travis Lundy

  • Niche Japanese Semiconductor Production Equipment specialist Kokusai Electric (6525 JP) last Thursday announced the TSE approved its late October IPO (with indicative pricing, shares to be sold, and initial prospectus).
  • This insight looks at initial shareholder structure, selling group, post-IPO shareholder structure with index inclusion timing, and follow-on flow possibilities. 
  • At ¥435bn indicative market cap, it will be the largest IPO in Japan since pre-covid, despite coming in a cycle trough. I expect it will be hot. 

Rakuten Bank (5838) One Month Later

By Travis Lundy

  • On 31 August, I published Rakuten Bank (5838) – 4 Months On, Volume Decay and RB’s Place Among Banks. It’s up 40.6% since the day after I wrote, reasons unclear.  
  • TOPIX Banks Index is up 10.4% since then, with post-BOJ meeting price movements indicating a kind of momiai.
  • For Rakuten Bank, while growth means it may not be “expensive” it is no longer dirt cheap. And I cannot identify the culprit, so time to take profits. 

Leapmotor IPO Lock-Up – US$3.3bn Lockup Expiry, Everyone in the Money, CCASS Movement to Boot

By Sumeet Singh

  • Leapmotor (9863 HK) (LM) raised around US$800m in its Hong Kong IPO. The stock was listed in Sep 2022, its lockup on pre-IPO investors will expire on 29th Sep 2023.
  • LM is a smart EV company based in China, founded in 2015.
  • In this note, we will talk about the lock-up dynamics and updates since our last note.

YFO Reloads Toyo Construction Takeover Proposal at ¥1255/Share

By Travis Lundy

  • Last night Reuters teased a headline saying the Nintendo Family Office called YFO (and related entities) would raise its proposed takeover price for Toyo Construction to ¥1255/share.
  • Recently, the company had agreed to start an investigation and YFO had dropped its demands for an EGM. In Q1, the company reporetd Revenues +18.6%yoy, reasonably in-line with original guidance.
  • This new price comes at a 1% premium to previous close, and is meant to start discussions. The Board has indicated it will start deliberations tomorrow.

EcoPro Materials: IPO & Index Inclusion

By Brian Freitas

  • EcoPro Materials (ECO123 KS) was founded in 2017 and specializes in manufacturing cathode material precursors, a core material for lithium secondary cells.
  • EcoPro Materials (ECO123 KS) could raise between US$387m-US$492m, valuing the company between US$1.9bn-US$2.42bn. Float will depend on voluntary lock-ups and allocation to strategic investors.
  • Inclusion in global indices is likely to take place between February to June, while the highest probability of Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 (KOSPI2 INDEX) inclusion is in December 2024.

Kokusai Electric Pre-IPO – The Negatives – Can’t Avoid the Cycles

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 this note, we talk about the not-so-positive aspects of the deal.

Toyo Construction (1890 JP): YFO’s Potential Revised Offer at JPY1,255

By Arun George

  • YFO has returned with a potential tender offer price of JPY1,255 per share for Toyo Construction (1890 JP), 25.5% above its previous offer of JPY1,000 per share.
  • The offer is conditional on due diligence access to confirm the feasibility of the medium-term management plan and no material accounting, tax, or legal issues.
  • The due diligence will take a month, with the offer expected to commence in late December. Expect due diligence access as the revised offer represents a 10-year high. 

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