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Daily Briefs

Daily Brief TMT/Internet: Horizon Robotics, Naver Corp, Lens Technology and more

By | Daily Briefs, TMT/Internet

In today’s briefing:

  • HSTECH Index Rebalance Preview: Universe Expansion Could Lead to One Change
  • Top 10 Korean Stock Picks and Key Catalysts Bi-Weekly (4 to 18 July 2025)
  • Weekly Deals Digest (06 Jul) – Lens Tech, FWD, Geekplus, NTT DC REIT, Fengxiang, HKBN, Insignia


HSTECH Index Rebalance Preview: Universe Expansion Could Lead to One Change

By Brian Freitas

  • The review period for the September rebalance of the Hang Seng TECH Index ended on 30 June, the changes will be announced on 22 August and implemented on 5 September.
  • No constituent changes will result in a one-way turnover of 4.1% and that will mean a round-trip trade of HK$15.2bn (US$1.94bn).
  • An expansion of the index universe could lead to one constituent change and that increases the one-way turnover to 6.2% and the round-trip trade to HK$23.1bn (US$2.94bn).

Top 10 Korean Stock Picks and Key Catalysts Bi-Weekly (4 to 18 July 2025)

By Douglas Kim

  • In this insight, we provide the top 10 stocks picks and key catalysts in the Korean stock market for the two weeks (4 to 18 July 2025).
  • Korea Electric Power (KEPCO) (015760 KS) was the best performing stock among the top 100 stocks in KOSPI in the past two weeks. 
  • The top 10 picks in this bi-weekly include LG Uplus, KCC, SK Hynix, Naver, Korea Kolmar, Korea Investment Holdings, Misto Holdings, Lotte Tour Development, LG Chem, and SK Inc.

Weekly Deals Digest (06 Jul) – Lens Tech, FWD, Geekplus, NTT DC REIT, Fengxiang, HKBN, Insignia

By Arun George


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Daily Brief Consumer: Seven & I Holdings, Pop Mart International Group L, Alibaba Group Holding , Shandong Fengxiang, TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX, Three Squirrels and more

By | Consumer, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Merger Arb Mondays (07 Jul) – Seven & I, Shibaura, Insignia, New World, ENN Energy, HKBN, Fengxiang
  • HSCEI Index Rebalance Preview: Pop Mart (9992 HK) Could Replace J&T Global (1519 HK)
  • ECM Weekly (7 July 2025) – IFBH, HDB, Anjoy, FWD, Lens, Fortior, NTT DC, Daehan, Kanzhun, Nykaa, NH
  • Fengxiang (9977 HK): Composite Doc Out. 24th July H-Class Meeting
  • Higher Foreign Shareholdings, Which Led to Fewer Takeover Defense, Push Companies To Further Reforms
  • Pre-IPO Three Squirrels – Pain Points of the Business Model and the Performance Outlook



HSCEI Index Rebalance Preview: Pop Mart (9992 HK) Could Replace J&T Global (1519 HK)

By Brian Freitas


ECM Weekly (7 July 2025) – IFBH, HDB, Anjoy, FWD, Lens, Fortior, NTT DC, Daehan, Kanzhun, Nykaa, NH

By Sumeet Singh

  • Aequitas Research’s weekly update on the IPOs, placements, lockup expiry and other ECM linked events that were covered by the team over the past week.
  • On the IPO front, next week will see a large number of listings across the region.
  • On the placements front, given the HK and US holidays and approaching earnings season, there were only a few deals in the past week.

Fengxiang (9977 HK): Composite Doc Out. 24th July H-Class Meeting

By David Blennerhassett

  • After the Offeror for Shandong Fengxiang (9977 HK) fulfilled pre-cons on the 3rd July, the Composite was dispatched on the 4th July (but dated 5th July). 
  • The EGM/H-share class meeting will take place on the 24th July. Settlement should be on ore around the 11th August, well ahead of my prior estimate.
  • Trading at a gross/annualised spread off 4.2%/49.6%. Get involved if illiquid arbs are your bag.

Higher Foreign Shareholdings, Which Led to Fewer Takeover Defense, Push Companies To Further Reforms

By Aki Matsumoto

  • Takeover defenses peaked in 2008 and have been gradually declining. The direct cause of the difficulty in maintaining advance warning-type takeover defenses is the increase in the foreign shareholding ratio.
  • Even companies that don’t have preemptive anti-takeover may take countermeasures when the risk of takeover increases, but with the publication of “Guidelines on Takeover Defense Measures,” transparent practices are expected.
  • Not only parent-subsidiary listings, but companies that cannot transform management to generate more cash from holding cash on hand and assets will be unable to continue in their current situation.

Pre-IPO Three Squirrels – Pain Points of the Business Model and the Performance Outlook

By Xinyao (Criss) Wang

  • As the traffic dividend of e-commerce fades, Three Squirrels is facing challenges.The offline predicament is essentially a conflict between the online traffic thinking mode and the logic of physical retail. 
  • Three Squirrels hasn’t built a true moat, and the high selling expenses would continue to erode the transformation space, leading to rely more on online channels and quick customer traffic.
  • We have concerns on the expansion outlook and growth sustainability. Our forecast is CAGR could be 15% in 2025-2027. Valuation may not meet expectations if growth continues to slow down.

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Daily Brief Singapore: NTT DC REIT and more

By | Daily Briefs, Singapore

In today’s briefing:

  • NTT DC REIT IPO: Valuation Insights


NTT DC REIT IPO: Valuation Insights

By Arun George

  • NTT DC REIT (NTTDCR SP) is the exclusive S-REIT vehicle sponsored by NTT Group. It has launched an SGX IPO to raise proceeds up to US$864 million.
  • I previously discussed the listing in NTT DC REIT IPO: The Investment Case
  • In this note, I discuss valuation. The valuation analysis suggests that the IPO price is attractive in comparison to peers’ multiples and yields. 

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Daily Brief South Korea: Infinitt Healthcare and more

By | Daily Briefs, South Korea

In today’s briefing:

  • Korea Small Cap Gem #38: Infinitt Healthcare


Korea Small Cap Gem #38: Infinitt Healthcare

By Douglas Kim

  • Infinitt Healthcare is a leading Korean healthcare IT solutions specializing in medical imaging and enterprise imaging platforms. It is the number one provider of PACS system in Korea. 
  • Five major investment highlights include strong export growth, solid growth in sales and operating profits, number one player in PACS system in Korea, strong balance sheet, and attractive valuations. 
  • The company has a strong balance sheet. Net cash was 150 billion won at the end of 1Q 2025, representing 95% of its market cap.

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Daily Brief Australia: Commonwealth Bank of Australia and more

By | Australia, Daily Briefs

In today’s briefing:

  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA AU) In Oversold Territory: Options Strategy on Reversal Range


Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA AU) In Oversold Territory: Options Strategy on Reversal Range

By Gaudenz Schneider

  • Context: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA AU) is approaching oversold territory, with limited upside potential. Quantitative analysis outlines key support and resistance levels with high reversal probabilities.
  • Trade Idea: The proposed options strategy profits if the stock remains range-bound between ~172 and ~190 by 17 July expiry. The setup offers a ~1.0% maximum return within 10 days.
  • Why Read: This Insight presents a timely, actionable trade idea with a well-defined risk/reward profile—ideal for investors seeking to monetize muted price action around a high-probability range.

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Daily Brief ESG: Will Management that Incorporates Cost of Capital Be Fully Implemented 7 Years from Now and more

By | Daily Briefs, ESG

In today’s briefing:

  • Will Management that Incorporates Cost of Capital Be Fully Implemented 7 Years from Now, in 2028?


Will Management that Incorporates Cost of Capital Be Fully Implemented 7 Years from Now, in 2028?

By Aki Matsumoto

  • Considering that it took seven years to finally begin reducing policy-held shares, it seems reasonable to assume that many companies will begin seriously incorporating capital costs into management in 2028.
  • TSE states that while Prime Market has most companies whose initiatives are out of step with investors’ perspectives, companies whose initiatives are highly regarded by investors show superior stock performance.
  • TSE appears to be placing its hopes on efficient market hypothesis. However, investors need to see increase in capital profitability that will convince them of the path to value creation.

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Daily Brief India: Gabriel India and more

By | Daily Briefs, India

In today’s briefing:

  • Event Driven: Gabriel India Restructuring ~ From Shock Absorbers to a Diverse Mobility Leader


Event Driven: Gabriel India Restructuring ~ From Shock Absorbers to a Diverse Mobility Leader

By Nimish Maheshwari

  • On July 2nd, Gabriel India (GABR IN) announced its strategic restructuring plan, merging key entities to diversify its business and unlock significant shareholder value.
  • The merger increases promoter shareholding from 55% to 63.5%, with projected EPS accretion of 41%.
  • This move positions Gabriel India as a multi-product leader, enhancing global OEM partnerships and boosting market presence in key automotive segments.

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Daily Brief United States: Gitlab , Jabil Circuit, Chewy , Intel Corp, Tripadvisor Inc, Oracle Corp, Alphabet , Clear Secure, Carmax Inc, Jm Smucker Co and more

By | Daily Briefs, United States

In today’s briefing:

  • GitLab: How It Is Supercharging DevOps with Game-Changing AI & SaaS Expansion!
  • Jabil Inc’s AI Ambitions—Is An $8.5 Billion Bet On Data Centers The Ultimate Power Move?
  • Chewy: Can The Reimagined Vet Clinics & Chewy+ Become The Future of Pet Care?
  • Carving Out a Niche: The Case for Intel’s Foundry Strategy Beyond the TSMC Benchmark
  • TripAdvisor Just Got a Starboard Jolt: Why the Activist Stake Could Reshape the Travel Giant
  • Oracle Corporation: Is The Demand for Oracle Databases Across Cloud Platforms Enough To Warrant Any Optimism?
  • Alphabet’s Billion-Dollar Bet on Fusion Energy: What’s Powering Google’s Latest Moonshot?
  • Clear Secure: ePassport Expansion & TSA PreCheck Growth Are Critical Growth Levers!
  • CarMax Inc.: The 6 Key Drivers Shaping Its Performance in 2025 & Beyond!- Major Drivers
  • J.M. Smucker: Will Its Effort on Core Brands & Innovation Pay Off?


GitLab: How It Is Supercharging DevOps with Game-Changing AI & SaaS Expansion!

By Baptista Research

  • GitLab recently reported its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, demonstrating a robust revenue increase of 27%, amounting to $214.5 million.
  • The company’s non-GAAP operating margin reached a commendable 12.2%, a significant improvement from the previous year’s negative margin.
  • GitLab’s CEO, Bill Staples, emphasized the strategic positioning of its AI-native, cloud-agnostic DevSecOps platform, which caters to the entire software development lifecycle and supports a unified data store for contextual AI.

Jabil Inc’s AI Ambitions—Is An $8.5 Billion Bet On Data Centers The Ultimate Power Move?

By Baptista Research

  • Jabil Inc. presented a strong performance in its third quarter of fiscal year 2025, surpassing expectations in multiple financial metrics.
  • The company reported net revenue of $7.8 billion, marking a 16% increase year-over-year and exceeding earlier guidance by $800 million.
  • This boost was primarily attributed to the Intelligent Infrastructure sector, particularly in AI-related revenue, supporting robust demand in cloud and data center infrastructure markets.

Chewy: Can The Reimagined Vet Clinics & Chewy+ Become The Future of Pet Care?

By Baptista Research

  • Chewy Inc., a prominent player in the pet e-commerce space, presented an overall positive first-quarter performance for fiscal year 2025, emphasizing growth initiatives and financial health.
  • Chewy reported an 8.3% year-over-year increase in net sales, reaching $3.12 billion, surpassing their guidance estimates.
  • This growth was largely driven by robust demand across consumables and health and wellness product categories, with a notable year-over-year hardgoods sales increase of 12.3%.

Carving Out a Niche: The Case for Intel’s Foundry Strategy Beyond the TSMC Benchmark

By Raghav Vashisht

  • Tan’s continuation of IDM 2.0 marks a pragmatic recalibration. By focusing on margin recapture and tailored customer models, Intel’s ambitions are not just about competing with TSMC at scale.
  • Intel’s 18A node was never intended as a mass-market foundry product; it was a strategic, internal milestone to reestablish process credibility, with commercial foundry ambitions anchored in 18A-P and 14A.
  • Intel’s future hinges less on market share and more on executing a credible, margin-accretive foundry model.  It could well emerge as a second-source alternative in a geopolitically fragmented supply chain.

TripAdvisor Just Got a Starboard Jolt: Why the Activist Stake Could Reshape the Travel Giant

By Baptista Research

  • TripAdvisor has been thrust back into the spotlight following activist investor Starboard Value’s disclosure of a 9% stake in the company.
  • The move comes on the heels of major strategic shifts at the travel-review giant, including the completion of its buyout of Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, the removal of its dual-class share structure, and a renewed push to stabilize its legacy business while scaling up its Viator and TheFork segments.
  • The investment, estimated at around $160 million, instantly made Starboard one of TripAdvisor’s top shareholders and sent the stock surging more than 16% on the news.

Oracle Corporation: Is The Demand for Oracle Databases Across Cloud Platforms Enough To Warrant Any Optimism?

By Baptista Research

  • Oracle Corporation has reported a strong performance for its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2025, surpassing expectations in terms of both revenue and earnings per share (EPS).
  • The company’s results reflect significant momentum in its cloud transition, which has been a strategic focus for several years.
  • On the positive side, Oracle has demonstrated robust growth across its cloud offerings.

Alphabet’s Billion-Dollar Bet on Fusion Energy: What’s Powering Google’s Latest Moonshot?

By Baptista Research

  • Alphabet is making headlines once again—this time for a groundbreaking deal that could reshape the future of clean energy.
  • In one of the largest commercial commitments yet to nuclear fusion, Google has signed an agreement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to purchase 200 megawatts of electricity from the company’s first commercial fusion power plant, ARC, currently under development in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
  • This deal marks a major endorsement of fusion power as a viable long-term solution to the surging energy needs of hyperscale technology companies.

Clear Secure: ePassport Expansion & TSA PreCheck Growth Are Critical Growth Levers!

By Baptista Research

  • CLEAR has reported its fiscal first quarter results for 2025, showing a mixed performance that reflects both growth opportunities and some challenges.
  • The company, known for its secure identity platform, emphasized continued progress in expanding its products and services, especially in the travel sector, while also navigating broader macroeconomic uncertainties.
  • Starting with the positives, CLEAR reported strong membership growth, with total members on its network reaching 31.2 million, a 42.3% increase year-over-year.

CarMax Inc.: The 6 Key Drivers Shaping Its Performance in 2025 & Beyond!- Major Drivers

By Baptista Research

  • CarMax delivered robust results in its fiscal 2026 first quarter, showcasing strengths and pinpointing areas for growth.
  • Positives included achieving its fourth consecutive quarter of positive retail unit comp growth and double-digit earnings per share (EPS) expansion, marking a 42% increase in EPS year-over-year.
  • This growth was attributed to a 9% increase in total retail unit sales, solid retail gross profits per used unit at a historic high, and an effective omnichannel shopping model that blends in-store and online customer experiences.

J.M. Smucker: Will Its Effort on Core Brands & Innovation Pay Off?

By Baptista Research

  • The J.M. Smucker Company’s recent earnings provide a mix of insights into both the challenges and strategic maneuvers that are shaping its fiscal 2025 outlook.
  • The company is grappling with significant cost pressures, notably from increased green coffee costs and the impact of tariffs, which has somewhat reshaped its earnings expectations.
  • Despite these hurdles, Smucker is employing a balanced approach, taking firm steps to maintain market share and profitability through pricing strategies and focused marketing investments.

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Daily Brief Energy/Materials: Aurubis AG, Kinder Morgan, Tenaris, Wacker Chemie AG and more

By | Daily Briefs, Energy & Materials Sector

In today’s briefing:

  • Aurubis AG: Initiation of Coverage- Hidden Gold in Metal Yield Diversification Powers Future Growth!
  • Kinder Morgan’s Hidden AI Catalyst: Why Natural Gas Pipelines Are Powering the Digital Future
  • Tenaris: Initiation of Coverage- Why This Energy Supplier May Be the Biggest Offshore Winner in 2025!
  • Wacker Chemie: Initiation of Coverage- Is Its Semiconductor Polysilicon Bet the Ultimate Tech Megatrend Play?


Aurubis AG: Initiation of Coverage- Hidden Gold in Metal Yield Diversification Powers Future Growth!

By Baptista Research

  • Aurubis AG, a key player in the multimetal production sector, has reported robust performance for the first half of its fiscal year 2024-25, amidst a challenging global market environment.
  • The company posted an operating EBT of EUR 229 million, nearly matching the previous year’s figures, and an EBITDA of EUR 341 million.
  • A slight increase in return on capital employed to 10.2% was observed, despite an increase in capital employed due to their growth projects.

Kinder Morgan’s Hidden AI Catalyst: Why Natural Gas Pipelines Are Powering the Digital Future

By Baptista Research

  • As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the global economy, it’s easy to overlook the physical infrastructure enabling this revolution.
  • While chipmakers and hyperscalers dominate headlines, Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI), one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America, is emerging as a key beneficiary of AI’s insatiable energy demands.
  • The company’s recent earnings call and market positioning highlight how AI and natural gas form a powerful synergy—making KMI not just a traditional energy play, but a hidden enabler of the digital age.

Tenaris: Initiation of Coverage- Why This Energy Supplier May Be the Biggest Offshore Winner in 2025!

By Baptista Research

  • Tenaris S.A. delivered its first-quarter financial results for 2025, reflecting both challenges and opportunities.
  • The company reported a quarterly sales figure of $2.9 billion, which marked a year-on-year decline of 15% but a sequential increase of 3%.
  • This growth was primarily attributed to higher seasonal volumes in Canada and increased onshore sales in the U.S., despite downward pressure from declining average selling prices.

Wacker Chemie: Initiation of Coverage- Is Its Semiconductor Polysilicon Bet the Ultimate Tech Megatrend Play?

By Baptista Research

  • Wacker Chemie AG’s Q1 2025 results reveal a mixed performance across different segments, reflecting the broader challenges in the market.
  • The company reported sales of EUR 1.48 billion, slightly down from the previous year but higher than the preceding quarter due to seasonality.
  • Group EBITDA stood at EUR 127 million, down from EUR 172 million year-over-year, mainly attributed to weak demand in solar-grade polysilicon and construction-related polymers, alongside lower utilization rates.

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Daily Brief Japan: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Nissin Corp, Shibaura Electronics, TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX and more

By | Daily Briefs, Japan

In today’s briefing:

  • Kawasaki Heavy Industries (7012 JP): Sell into Strength
  • (Mostly) Asia-Pac M&A: Talkmed, Jilin Jiutai Bank, Insignia, Silk Logistics, Fengxiang, Nissin, VIOL
  • Last Week In Event SPACE: Shibaura, HKBN, NWD, Yichang HEC
  • Will Management that Incorporates Cost of Capital Be Fully Implemented 7 Years from Now, in 2028?


Kawasaki Heavy Industries (7012 JP): Sell into Strength

By Scott Foster

  • KHI has retreated 12% from its June 30 high, but is still 69% above its April low, despite guiding for a decline in orders and weak profits in FY Mar-26.
  • Orders from Japan’s Ministry of Defense are forecast to drop from ¥772.3 billion to ¥400 billion this fiscal year, while the overall profit of the Aerospace division drops 14%.
  • The potential impact of U.S. tariffs on Power Sports & Engines is not factored into guidance, offsetting  what otherwise seem to be conservative assumptions.

(Mostly) Asia-Pac M&A: Talkmed, Jilin Jiutai Bank, Insignia, Silk Logistics, Fengxiang, Nissin, VIOL

By David Blennerhassett


Last Week In Event SPACE: Shibaura, HKBN, NWD, Yichang HEC

By David Blennerhassett

  • Given the METI extension on FEFTA review on Shibaura (6957 JP), risks are slightly higher. <¥5,900 was a good buy on an incremental basis. ¥5,970 is OK but not spectacular.
  • As expected (at least by me) – I Squared has withdrawn its Offer for HKBN Ltd (1310 HK).
  • Re: New World Development (17 HK), this “rescue package” announcement – ~HK$88.2bn – should come as no surprise, as the alternative situation (liquidation/bankruptcy) and the ensuing optics were not great.

Will Management that Incorporates Cost of Capital Be Fully Implemented 7 Years from Now, in 2028?

By Aki Matsumoto

  • Considering that it took seven years to finally begin reducing policy-held shares, it seems reasonable to assume that many companies will begin seriously incorporating capital costs into management in 2028.
  • TSE states that while Prime Market has most companies whose initiatives are out of step with investors’ perspectives, companies whose initiatives are highly regarded by investors show superior stock performance.
  • TSE appears to be placing its hopes on efficient market hypothesis. However, investors need to see increase in capital profitability that will convince them of the path to value creation.

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