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Daily Briefs

Daily Brief India: Adani Green Energy, Sai Silk Kalamandir, Bajaj Auto Ltd, Medco Energi and more

By | Daily Briefs, India

In today’s briefing:

  • Quiddity Leaderboard BSE/​​​​SENSEX Dec 23: AllCap Sep 23 Rebal Done; Some Changes to Expectations
  • Sai Silks Kalamandir IPO – Not Particularly Exciting but Is Relatively Cheap
  • [Week 3] Namaste India 🙏 | Bajaj Auto Ltd (BJAUT IN) | Exports Could Improve Further
  • Morning Views Asia: JSW Infrastructure, Medco Energi


Quiddity Leaderboard BSE/​​​​SENSEX Dec 23: AllCap Sep 23 Rebal Done; Some Changes to Expectations

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • In this insight, we take a look at the Potential ADDs/DELETEs for the BSE SENSEX, 100, and 200 Indices in the December 2023 Rebalance.
  • The BSE AllCap index Rebalance was completed in September 2023. There were 77 ADDs and 73 DELs. 
  • Since the BSE AllCap index is the main universe for the BSE 200, 100, and SENSEX indices, there have been some changes to our December 2023 index change expectations.

Sai Silks Kalamandir IPO – Not Particularly Exciting but Is Relatively Cheap

By Sumeet Singh

  • Sai Silk Kalamandir (SSKL IN) is looking to raise about US$145m in its India IPO.
  • Sai Silk Kalamandir (SSK) is one of the largest retailers of ethnic apparel in South India, particularly in sarees, according to Technopak.
  • In this note, we look at the company’s past performance and provide our thoughts on valuations.

[Week 3] Namaste India 🙏 | Bajaj Auto Ltd (BJAUT IN) | Exports Could Improve Further

By Pranav Bhavsar


Morning Views Asia: JSW Infrastructure, Medco Energi

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 Singapore: DBS, CapitaLand Ascendas REIT and more

By | Daily Briefs, Singapore

In today’s briefing:

  • Global Banks Led Stocks on the Week with Arm IPO & Growth Outlook
  • REIT Watch – S-Reits raise their sustainability reporting standards


Global Banks Led Stocks on the Week with Arm IPO & Growth Outlook

By Geoff Howie

  • Last week, the trio of DBS, UOB and OCBC averaged 3.4% gains, bringing their average 3Q23-to-date total return to 8.7%.
  • The 3Q23-to-date has seen the trio of DBS, UOB & OCBC report combined 2Q23 Net Interest Income (NII) of S$8.26 billion, marking the third-consecutive quarter that combined quarterly NII has been above the S$8.0 billion mark.
  • DBS Group Holdings (DBS), United Overseas Bank (UOB) and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) also moved in tandem averaging a 4% gain on the week.

REIT Watch – S-Reits raise their sustainability reporting standards

By Geoff Howie

  • Coverage of climate-related disclosures by S-Reits vs global real estate sector average for each TCFD pillar The S-Reits industry, as with all other sectors, is experiencing growing pressure from investors, tenants, regulators, and other stakeholders to report key environment, social and governance (ESG) information.
  • The study reviewed the coverage and quality of disclosures by S-Reits against global peers and best practices based on the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations.

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Daily Brief Indonesia: Bank Negara Indonesia Persero, Medco Energi and more

By | Daily Briefs, Indonesia

In today’s briefing:

  • Bank Negara Indonesia (BBNI IJ) – Increasingly Quality Focused Through a Digital Lens
  • Morning Views Asia: JSW Infrastructure, Medco Energi


Bank Negara Indonesia (BBNI IJ) – Increasingly Quality Focused Through a Digital Lens

By Angus Mackintosh

  • Bank Negara Indonesia (BBNI IJ)continues to focus on growing the quality end of its corporate loan book, and de-risking its smaller sized commercial loans, whilst growing consumer exposure.
  • The bank’s digital initiatives remain core, with strong growth in mobile transactions by value as well as the number of users, whilst BNI Direct is driving digitisation of business customers.
  • Hibank has launched, growing FMCG related loans fast, with the help of Mayora Indah. BNI valuations remain attractive, with the bank trading on 1.2x FY2023E PBV with 15% ROE.

Morning Views Asia: JSW Infrastructure, Medco Energi

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 United States: Booking Holdings, Dropbox Inc, Cummins Inc, Air Products & Chemicals, Inc, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Philip Morris International, iPower , Kellogg Co, Steelcase Inc Cl A, Quanta Services and more

By | Daily Briefs, United States

In today’s briefing:

  • Booking Holdings Inc.: The Margin Expansion Story Continues! What’s Their Secret Sauce? – Major Drivers
  • Dropbox Inc.: The Skyrocketing Potential of AI and New High-Value Products! – Major Drivers
  • Cummins Inc.: High Demand
  • Air Products and Chemicals Inc.: Price Surges
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.: Can The Latest Collaboration With Roche Be A Game Changer? – Major Drivers
  • Philip Morris International Inc.: The Smoke-Free Business Revolution You Didn’t See Coming! – Major Drivers
  • IPower, Inc. -Reports 4Q23 Results
  • Kellogg Company: Riding the Wave of Global Snack Trends – Can They Sustain the Momentum? – Major Drivers
  • Steelcase, Inc – Preview: 2QFY24 Expected to Improve Sequentially
  • Quanta Services Inc.: Renewable Solutions Skyrocket! Why Their Strategy Matters? – Major Drivers


Booking Holdings Inc.: The Margin Expansion Story Continues! What’s Their Secret Sauce? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Booking Holdings Inc. managed to exceed analyst expectations in terms of revenue as well as earnings.
  • The 268 million hotel nights booked in the second quarter increased by 9% year over year, and the $39.7 billion in gross bookings, the largest quarterly total ever, surged by 15% year over year.
  • The positive demand environment caused hotel nights and revenue bookings to surpass the company’s previous projections.

Dropbox Inc.: The Skyrocketing Potential of AI and New High-Value Products! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Dropbox, Inc. delivered a positive result and managed an all-around beat in the last quarter, driven by FormSwift’s revenue growth and some improvement in the company’s SKUs, as the development it observed in late Q1 carried over into Q2.
  • In the quarter, the company launched Dropbox AI.
  • Furthermore, Dropbox introduced a new activation homepage to simplify admins setting up their teams and becoming familiar with the product.

Cummins Inc.: High Demand

By Baptista Research

  • Cummins Inc. delivered mixed results in the quarter, with revenues above expectations but below-par earnings.
  • Cummins’ organic sales growth rate was 12%, driven by increased pricing and strong end-market demand for its goods globally, with a balance of 19% rise in sales generated by including Meritor.
  • Due to the inclusion of Meritor, high demand, and better pricing, the quarter’s revenue increased.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc.: Price Surges

By Baptista Research

  • Air Products and Chemicals’ pricing strength remains unabated, with its volume improving for an impressive ninth consecutive quarter, bolstered by strong on-site performance, and the integration of over 13 new assets.
  • Strategically, Air Products & Chemicals underscores two fundamental growth pillars: the robust core industrial gas business and the pioneering low and zero-carbon hydrogen projects.
  • The latest quarter results were also commendable, with a 3% volume increase and a 10% rise in merchant price.

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.: Can The Latest Collaboration With Roche Be A Game Changer? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. delivered a disappointing set of results as it was unable to meet the revenue earnings expectations of Wall Street.
  • In Q2, the overall net product revenues increased 43% year over year across all products.
  • The TTR brand generated $224 million in global net product revenues for ONPATTRO and AMVUTTRA, a 46% increase from the second quarter of 2022 and a 9% rise from the first quarter.

Philip Morris International Inc.: The Smoke-Free Business Revolution You Didn’t See Coming! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Philip Morris International managed to surpass the revenue and the earnings expectations of Wall Street.
  • This fantastic result supported high teens’ currency-neutral adjusted diluted EPS growth and double-digit organic top-line growth.
  • Given these strong results, their team remains confident in a solid full-year result with exceptional revenue growth.

IPower, Inc. -Reports 4Q23 Results

By Water Tower Research

  • iPower reported 4Q23 and FY23 revenue of $23.4 million and $88.9 million, respectively, up 6% and 12% versus last year’s results.

  • The company reported a loss per share of $0.10 for the quarter, and a loss per share of $0.40 for the year, reflecting the unusual transportation and warehousing expenses experienced as a result of last year’s supply chain disruption.

  • Inventories declined from $30.4 million at the end of FY22 to $20.6 million, with management targeting a further reduction to about $15 million. 


Kellogg Company: Riding the Wave of Global Snack Trends – Can They Sustain the Momentum? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Kellogg Company delivered mixed results in the quarter, with revenues below expectations but surpassed the Wall Street consensus regarding earnings.
  • With this operating profit result, Kellogg is slightly above its previous full-year forecast.
  • Market growth rates for the snacks category remained strong and may have even increased somewhat from the previous quarter.

Steelcase, Inc – Preview: 2QFY24 Expected to Improve Sequentially

By Water Tower Research

  • Steelcase reports 2QFY24 after market close on Tuesday, September 19, with its earnings conference call on Wednesday, September 20 at 8:30 am ET.

  • We expect 2Q24 EPS of $0.20 (also consensus) on revenue of $827.8 million (consensus of $829 million). Our EPS estimate is a penny lower than last year on lower revenue.

  • Following 1Q24 results, we shaved our 2Q24 revenue estimates by ~$20 million, but with evidence of better execution on gross margin, our earnings estimate ticked down by only $0.01.


Quanta Services Inc.: Renewable Solutions Skyrocket! Why Their Strategy Matters? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Quanta Services, Inc. surpassed the revenue and earnings expectations of Wall Street.
  • They resulted in significant quarterly revenues exceeding $5 billion for the first time in company history and a backlog of $27.2 billion.
  • In this report, we have carried out a fundamental analysis of the historical financial statements of the company.

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Daily Brief China: Poly Culture Group Corp H, Lansen Pharmaceutical Holdings Co, Ltd., Keep Inc, Tuhu Car, 4Paradigm, Longfor Properties, Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments, AGBA Group Holding and more

By | China, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Poly Culture (3636 HK)’s Offer: 3rd Nov Shareholder Vote. Still Get Involved
  • Poly Culture (3636 HK): H Share Class Meeting on 3 November
  • Lansen Pharma (503 HK): The Chairman Makes An Offer
  • HSCI Index Rebalance Preview: Low Probability Add in December
  • Tuhu Car IPO: Forecasts and Valuation
  • 4Paradigm IPO – PHIP Updates, Peer Comparison & Thoughts on Valuation
  • Longfor 960 HK: Continue to Be the Best Among POEs, yet Valuation Premium Might Narrow over Time
  • Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments (1858.HK/688236.CH) – 2023 Full-Year Results May Be Disappointing
  • AGBA – Forecasts lowered but momentum maintained


Poly Culture (3636 HK)’s Offer: 3rd Nov Shareholder Vote. Still Get Involved

By David Blennerhassett

  • Back on the 23 June, SOE-backed Poly Group tabled an HK$8.88 bid per Poly Culture Group (3636 HK) H Share and RMB8.17386240 per Domestic Share. Terms were declared final.
  • This Merger by Absorption Offer incorporates a Scheme-like vote. There is no tendering condition. The premium to last close is 77.6%; and a 112.5% premium to the five-day closing average.
  • The Composite Doc is out. Independent H-shareholders get to vote on the transaction on the 3rd of November. Payment is expected on or before the 23 November. I’d get involved. 

Poly Culture (3636 HK): H Share Class Meeting on 3 November

By Arun George

  • The Poly Culture Group Corp H (3636 HK) H Shareholders’ class meeting is scheduled for 3 November. The IFA considers the HK$8.88 per H share offer fair and reasonable.
  • The key condition is approval by at least 75% independent H Shareholders (<10% of all independent H Shareholders rejection). No independent H Shareholder holds a blocking stake.
  • The offer’s 77.6% premium to the undisturbed price and shareholder structure helps the vote. At the current price and for the 23 November payment, the gross/annualised spread is 3.3%/19.2%.

Lansen Pharma (503 HK): The Chairman Makes An Offer

By David Blennerhassett

  • Specialty prescription drug manufacturer Lansen Pharmaceutical Holdings Co, Ltd. (503 HK) has been a perennial takeover target. And now we have an Offer.
  • Wu Zhen Tao, NED and Chairman of Lansen, has made an Offer for shares not indirectly held, of HK$1.80/share, by way of a Scheme, a 26.76% premium to last close.   
  • This looks done. Get involved if small-cap illiquid arbs are your thing. 

HSCI Index Rebalance Preview: Low Probability Add in December

By Brian Freitas

  • There have only been 7 new listings on the HKEX (388 HK) in the third quarter of the year so far.
  • Of those stocks, only Keep Inc (3650 HK) has a chance of being added to the Hang Seng Composite Index in December and then into Southbound Stock Connect.
  • Keep Inc (3650 HK) is the largest online fitness platform in China and the name recognition could bring in substantial flows via Southbound Stock Connect.

Tuhu Car IPO: Forecasts and Valuation

By Shifara Samsudeen, ACMA, CGMA

  • Chinese automotive maintenance services platform Tuhu Car has announced the terms for its HKEx IPO. Tuhu plans to raise net proceeds of HK$1.0-1.1bn (US$132-161m) through the issuance of 40.62m shares.
  • Tuhu Car (2007986D HK) ‘s franchised business model seems to have worked well, while its focus on high margin products/services have helped improve profitability.
  • In this insight, we discuss our forecasts and valuation for the company, and our analysis suggests that Tuhu Car’s IPO is priced reasonably.

4Paradigm IPO – PHIP Updates, Peer Comparison & Thoughts on Valuation

By Ethan Aw

  • 4Paradigm (1764934D HK) is looking to raise up to US$144m in its Hong Kong IPO, after downsizing from an earlier reported float of US$600m.
  • 4P is a platform-centric AI enterprise solutions provider. It was the largest player by revenue in the platform-centric decision-making AI market in China in 2022, as per CIC.
  • In our previous notes, we covered the company’s performance and refiling updates. In this note, we will cover the firm’s PHIP updates, peer comparison and share our thoughts on valuation.

Longfor 960 HK: Continue to Be the Best Among POEs, yet Valuation Premium Might Narrow over Time

By Jacob Cheng

  • In this insight, we conducted fundamental analysis on Longfor, which has always been perceived as the best Chinese developer among all private players
  • However, since Chairlady resigns due to personal reasons, and given the policy clamp down, we think Longfor may not be able to sustain its competitive advantages over time
  • Longfor was trading at a premium to CRL and COLI, we believe the valuation premium should narrow over time.  On a relative basis we are not positive on Longfor

Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments (1858.HK/688236.CH) – 2023 Full-Year Results May Be Disappointing

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments didn’t perform well in 23H1. Obviously, the Company did not anticipate sufficiently the negative impact of centralized procurement on performance. Comparatively, AK Medical’s situation is better.
  • The anti-corruption campaign has led to a marked drop in hospital outpatient visits and surgeries. Therefore, Chunlizhengda’s Q3 performance may not be optimistic, resulting in a lower-than-expected 2023 full-year performance.
  • We think both revenue and net profit of Chunlizhengda would have negative YoY growth in 2023. The Company has fallen behind its competitor in R&D capabilities and high-end product lines. 

AGBA – Forecasts lowered but momentum maintained

By Edison Investment Research

AGBA generated sales of US$28.4m in H123, 361% higher than in H122, as it continued to onboard agents and COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed. Compared to Q123, revenue increased by 54% as AGBA continued to benefit from the reopening of the Hong Kong-China border in February and the Chinese economy. Despite the positive momentum, AGBA has reduced its forecasts for each consecutive year to 2026 because of the slower-than-expected revival of the Chinese and Hong Kong economies so far in 2023. It still projects double-digit growth in subsequent years and expects to capitalise on increasing travel to Hong Kong from Mainland Chinese looking for high-quality health and wealth products.


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Daily Brief Japan: Integral Corporation, Yodogawa Steel Works, Nikkei 225, Seven & I Holdings, Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix, Seibu Giken and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • Integral Corporation IPO: Trading Debut
  • Yodogawa Steel (5451) | Steeling for a Capital Allocation Battle
  • EQD | Nikkei 225 (NKY) Enters WEEKLY OVERBOUGHT Resistance Area
  • Seven & I: Challenging Guidance, The US Business Needs to Fire on All Cylinders
  • It Is Time to Identify True Value and Growth Stocks Rather than High and Low P/Bs
  • Seibu Giken IPO – Quick Note – Not Particularly Enticing
  • Integral Corporation IPO Trading – Low Demand but Somewhat Cornered


Integral Corporation IPO: Trading Debut

By Arun George


Yodogawa Steel (5451) | Steeling for a Capital Allocation Battle

By Mark Chadwick

  • Activist investor, Strategic Capital, has taken a significant 5% stake in the underperforming steel company
  • Yodogawa stacks up in line with the sector on operating metrics but its under leveraged balance sheet has crimped Returns on Equity and valuations
  • We expect that the activist will seek to improve the company’s ROE through an improvement in capital allocation. That is bullish

EQD | Nikkei 225 (NKY) Enters WEEKLY OVERBOUGHT Resistance Area

By Nico Rosti

  • The Nikkei 225 INDEX is getting WEEKLY OVERBOUGHT after just +1 week up. Rallying further during the next 2-3 weeks may be hard, it could stall or fall.
  • If the index rallies further this week, it could fall the following week. Alternatively it could stall this week and rally the following week/s, but OVERBOUGHT status won’t go away.
  • 34256 is the Q3 resistance target on CC=+3, this should be a hard barrier to breach. An earlier barrier is Q3 resistance on the Gen.Pattern Boxplot = 33835.

Seven & I: Challenging Guidance, The US Business Needs to Fire on All Cylinders

By Oshadhi Kumarasiri

  • Seven & I Holdings (3382 JP)‘s share price has remained below ¥6,600 since the end of its bull run in March 2023.
  • Short-Term optimism hinges on a substantial earnings beat, but the US business challenges make it unlikely.
  • Seven & I faces valuation risks, trading near peak multiples with diminishing growth prospects.

It Is Time to Identify True Value and Growth Stocks Rather than High and Low P/Bs

By Aki Matsumoto

  • If a company with P/B less than 1 conducts share buyback, its P/B will decrease; if a company with P/B greater than 1 conducts share buyback, its P/B will increase.
  • A company with P/B below 1x can be a great value stock if it can demonstrate to investors that it will generate ample cash flow, in addition to repurchasing shares.
  • Even if a company’s P/B is well above 1x, it is required to explain to investors whether there are any gaps in its cash flow growth scenario.

Seibu Giken IPO – Quick Note – Not Particularly Enticing

By Sumeet Singh

  • Seibu Giken (6223 JP) (SG) is looking to raise around US$93m in its Japan IPO via selling a mix of primary and secondary shares.
  • SG sells desiccant dehumidifiers and VOC concentrators in over fifty countries globally. Its two main products accounted for over 90% of its revenue in 2022.
  • In our previous note, we looked at the company’s past performance. In this note, we talk about valuations.

Integral Corporation IPO Trading – Low Demand but Somewhat Cornered

By Sumeet Singh

  • Integral Corporation (5842 JP) raised around US$123m in its Japan IPO.
  • Integral is a private equity management company advising funds that invest in both listed and unlisted companies in Japan, with a focus on mid-sized companies.
  • In our previous notes, we looked at the company’s past performance and valuation. In this note, we talk about the trading dynamics.

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Daily Brief TMT/Internet: SK Telecom, Keep Inc, 4Paradigm, Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) – ADR, Dropbox Inc, Esker SA and more

By | Daily Briefs, TMT/Internet

In today’s briefing:

  • Analyzing Proactive Flow Trading Targeting SK Telecom’s Passive Movements
  • HSCI Index Rebalance Preview: Low Probability Add in December
  • 4Paradigm IPO – PHIP Updates, Peer Comparison & Thoughts on Valuation
  • Taiwan Dual Listings Monitor: TSMC Spread In Clear Downtrend; UMC & ASE Corporate Days Could Support
  • Dropbox Inc.: The Skyrocketing Potential of AI and New High-Value Products! – Major Drivers
  • Esker – Working to balance investment and profitability


Analyzing Proactive Flow Trading Targeting SK Telecom’s Passive Movements

By Sanghyun Park

  • As of last Friday, SKT has utilized 86.2 billion won out of the allotted 300 billion won for share buybacks, resulting in the acquisition of 1,810,242 shares.
  • If there are indications of the foreign room potentially falling to a risky level, SKT will likely proceed with an aggressive buyback, targeting 20-30% of the daily trading volume.
  • Another particularly intriguing observation is the absence of local retail flow directed towards SKT. This indicates there is still potential momentum for an upward price movement at this juncture.

HSCI Index Rebalance Preview: Low Probability Add in December

By Brian Freitas

  • There have only been 7 new listings on the HKEX (388 HK) in the third quarter of the year so far.
  • Of those stocks, only Keep Inc (3650 HK) has a chance of being added to the Hang Seng Composite Index in December and then into Southbound Stock Connect.
  • Keep Inc (3650 HK) is the largest online fitness platform in China and the name recognition could bring in substantial flows via Southbound Stock Connect.

4Paradigm IPO – PHIP Updates, Peer Comparison & Thoughts on Valuation

By Ethan Aw

  • 4Paradigm (1764934D HK) is looking to raise up to US$144m in its Hong Kong IPO, after downsizing from an earlier reported float of US$600m.
  • 4P is a platform-centric AI enterprise solutions provider. It was the largest player by revenue in the platform-centric decision-making AI market in China in 2022, as per CIC.
  • In our previous notes, we covered the company’s performance and refiling updates. In this note, we will cover the firm’s PHIP updates, peer comparison and share our thoughts on valuation.

Taiwan Dual Listings Monitor: TSMC Spread In Clear Downtrend; UMC & ASE Corporate Days Could Support

By Vincent Fernando, CFA

  • TSMC’s ADR premium/discount appears to have shown a clear decline in trading range recently, down from the 10% level.
  • UMC & ASE joined corporate days today in Taipei, which could be supportive of their premiums in the near-term.
  • We provide spread levels we view as compelling from a risk/reward perspective.

Dropbox Inc.: The Skyrocketing Potential of AI and New High-Value Products! – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Dropbox, Inc. delivered a positive result and managed an all-around beat in the last quarter, driven by FormSwift’s revenue growth and some improvement in the company’s SKUs, as the development it observed in late Q1 carried over into Q2.
  • In the quarter, the company launched Dropbox AI.
  • Furthermore, Dropbox introduced a new activation homepage to simplify admins setting up their teams and becoming familiar with the product.

Esker – Working to balance investment and profitability

By Edison Investment Research

In H123 Esker reported strong growth in revenue (+16% y-o-y in constant currency (cc)) and bookings (+18% y-o-y cc) but this was outweighed by increases in costs, resulting in an operating margin decline. The company is taking measures to counter this, both in its contract pricing and by slowing the pace of hiring. While FY23 revenue outlook is unchanged, management reduced the mid-point of operating margin guidance by 1% to 12%. We have conservatively reduced our operating profit forecasts, which for FY23 were at the upper end of the new guidance range.


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Daily Brief Industrials: Seibu Giken , Cummins Inc, iPower , Quanta Services, Steelcase Inc Cl A and more

By | Daily Briefs, Industrials

In today’s briefing:

  • Seibu Giken IPO – Quick Note – Not Particularly Enticing
  • Cummins Inc.: High Demand
  • IPower, Inc. -Reports 4Q23 Results
  • Quanta Services Inc.: Renewable Solutions Skyrocket! Why Their Strategy Matters? – Major Drivers
  • Steelcase, Inc – Preview: 2QFY24 Expected to Improve Sequentially


Seibu Giken IPO – Quick Note – Not Particularly Enticing

By Sumeet Singh

  • Seibu Giken (6223 JP) (SG) is looking to raise around US$93m in its Japan IPO via selling a mix of primary and secondary shares.
  • SG sells desiccant dehumidifiers and VOC concentrators in over fifty countries globally. Its two main products accounted for over 90% of its revenue in 2022.
  • In our previous note, we looked at the company’s past performance. In this note, we talk about valuations.

Cummins Inc.: High Demand

By Baptista Research

  • Cummins Inc. delivered mixed results in the quarter, with revenues above expectations but below-par earnings.
  • Cummins’ organic sales growth rate was 12%, driven by increased pricing and strong end-market demand for its goods globally, with a balance of 19% rise in sales generated by including Meritor.
  • Due to the inclusion of Meritor, high demand, and better pricing, the quarter’s revenue increased.

IPower, Inc. -Reports 4Q23 Results

By Water Tower Research

  • iPower reported 4Q23 and FY23 revenue of $23.4 million and $88.9 million, respectively, up 6% and 12% versus last year’s results.

  • The company reported a loss per share of $0.10 for the quarter, and a loss per share of $0.40 for the year, reflecting the unusual transportation and warehousing expenses experienced as a result of last year’s supply chain disruption.

  • Inventories declined from $30.4 million at the end of FY22 to $20.6 million, with management targeting a further reduction to about $15 million. 


Quanta Services Inc.: Renewable Solutions Skyrocket! Why Their Strategy Matters? – Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • Quanta Services, Inc. surpassed the revenue and earnings expectations of Wall Street.
  • They resulted in significant quarterly revenues exceeding $5 billion for the first time in company history and a backlog of $27.2 billion.
  • In this report, we have carried out a fundamental analysis of the historical financial statements of the company.

Steelcase, Inc – Preview: 2QFY24 Expected to Improve Sequentially

By Water Tower Research

  • Steelcase reports 2QFY24 after market close on Tuesday, September 19, with its earnings conference call on Wednesday, September 20 at 8:30 am ET.

  • We expect 2Q24 EPS of $0.20 (also consensus) on revenue of $827.8 million (consensus of $829 million). Our EPS estimate is a penny lower than last year on lower revenue.

  • Following 1Q24 results, we shaved our 2Q24 revenue estimates by ~$20 million, but with evidence of better execution on gross margin, our earnings estimate ticked down by only $0.01.


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Daily Brief Utilities: Adani Green Energy, Jersey Electricity PLC and more

By | Daily Briefs, Utilities Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • Quiddity Leaderboard BSE/​​​​SENSEX Dec 23: AllCap Sep 23 Rebal Done; Some Changes to Expectations
  • Jersey Electricity – Managing transition well


Quiddity Leaderboard BSE/​​​​SENSEX Dec 23: AllCap Sep 23 Rebal Done; Some Changes to Expectations

By Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

  • In this insight, we take a look at the Potential ADDs/DELETEs for the BSE SENSEX, 100, and 200 Indices in the December 2023 Rebalance.
  • The BSE AllCap index Rebalance was completed in September 2023. There were 77 ADDs and 73 DELs. 
  • Since the BSE AllCap index is the main universe for the BSE 200, 100, and SENSEX indices, there have been some changes to our December 2023 index change expectations.

Jersey Electricity – Managing transition well

By Edison Investment Research

Jersey Electricity (JEL) continues to deliver steady 5% dividend growth, while managing consumer tariffs amid turbulent energy markets. Forward energy purchases have helped protect JEL and Jersey consumers from volatile wholesale markets over the last year, but this protection will decline from FY24. JEL should benefit from Jersey’s carbon-neutral goals, which will see increased electrification of the island, notably due to the displacement of carbon-intensive heating and transport with low-carbon energy purchased via subsea cables. We see the almost flat unit demand of recent years rising to a 2% CAGR through to 2030.


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Daily Brief Energy/Materials: Boss Resources, Yodogawa Steel Works, Air Products & Chemicals, Inc, KEFI Minerals PLC, Medco Energi, Pan African Resources and more

By | Daily Briefs, Energy & Materials Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • S&P/​​​​​​​​​ASX Index Rebalance Preview: Changes from Now to December
  • Yodogawa Steel (5451) | Steeling for a Capital Allocation Battle
  • Air Products and Chemicals Inc.: Price Surges
  • KEFI Gold and Copper – East Africa and Ethiopia attracting investment
  • Morning Views Asia: JSW Infrastructure, Medco Energi
  • Pan African Resources – Advancing to 250koz in annual output in FY26


S&P/​​​​​​​​​ASX Index Rebalance Preview: Changes from Now to December

By Brian Freitas

  • Privatisations could lead to two/three S&P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX) constituents being delisted in October/November and that means ad hoc inclusions to maintain the number of constituents at 200.
  • Then there could be one change for the S&P/ASX 20 Index and two changes for the S&P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX) at the regular rebalance in December.
  • The impact on the potential adds/deletes for the S&P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX) is high at between 7.5-23 days of ADV to trade from passive trackers.

Yodogawa Steel (5451) | Steeling for a Capital Allocation Battle

By Mark Chadwick

  • Activist investor, Strategic Capital, has taken a significant 5% stake in the underperforming steel company
  • Yodogawa stacks up in line with the sector on operating metrics but its under leveraged balance sheet has crimped Returns on Equity and valuations
  • We expect that the activist will seek to improve the company’s ROE through an improvement in capital allocation. That is bullish

Air Products and Chemicals Inc.: Price Surges

By Baptista Research

  • Air Products and Chemicals’ pricing strength remains unabated, with its volume improving for an impressive ninth consecutive quarter, bolstered by strong on-site performance, and the integration of over 13 new assets.
  • Strategically, Air Products & Chemicals underscores two fundamental growth pillars: the robust core industrial gas business and the pioneering low and zero-carbon hydrogen projects.
  • The latest quarter results were also commendable, with a 3% volume increase and a 10% rise in merchant price.

KEFI Gold and Copper – East Africa and Ethiopia attracting investment

By Edison Investment Research

Three recent developments have served to put KEFI’s Tulu Kapi into the spotlight. The first is Ethiopia’s recent central bank directive exempting certain strategic industries – including mining – from foreign exchange controls, satisfying the last major condition precedent for the issuance of final approval by the project finance lenders. The second is Allied Gold’s listing on the TSX, including its decision to raise US$250m (US$160m in equity), of which 80% is to be invested in developing the Kurmuk mine, also in Ethiopia, on the border with Sudan, west of Tulu Kapi. The third is the takeover of early-stage OreCorp by Silvercorp at a price equivalent to 24.5% of attributable NPV5% or US$46.14 per resource ounce.


Morning Views Asia: JSW Infrastructure, Medco Energi

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.


Pan African Resources – Advancing to 250koz in annual output in FY26

By Edison Investment Research

Pan African Resources’ (PAF’s) FY23 results, announced on 13 September, were closely in line with our forecasts. Barberton underground, Evander underground and the Barberton Tailings Retreatment Project (BTRP) all recorded higher throughputs at slightly lower grades than we had been expecting, but also lower unit cash costs in ZAR/t terms. Elikhulu performed in line with our expectations in terms of output, albeit at slightly higher unit costs, owing to continued electricity supply disruptions and unfavourable weather. Overall, earnings for H123 and FY23 were US$2.5m higher than our prior forecasts, translating into 8.5% outperformance and 4.3% outperformance, respectively. EPS was in the top half of the consensus forecast range.


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