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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): What India Needs to Learn from China on Coal Gasification? and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • What India Needs to Learn from China on Coal Gasification?
  • Exencial Industtry Tidings – 14-08-2026
  • Singapore Market Roundup (14-Aug-2026): RHB and DBS keep ‘neutral’ stance on Wilmar after strong
  • AUCTUS ON FRIDAY – 14.08.2026
  • Asia Real Estate Tracker (14-Aug-2026): GIC funds $318M purchase of Sydney tower by Investa.


What India Needs to Learn from China on Coal Gasification?

By Nimish Maheshwari

  • China’s coal-based urea and chemicals chain absorbed the 2026 Middle East shock far better than gas- and oil-dependent competitors.
  • India imports critical industrial feedstocks and remains exposed to LNG, fertiliser and petrochemical supply disruptions through maritime chokepoints.
  • Coal gasification should be treated as strategic industrial infrastructure not merely another coal project provided economics, ash technology and carbon capture are solved

Exencial Industtry Tidings – 14-08-2026

By Viral Kishorchandra Shah

  • Dhunseri Tea & Inds.’ sales decline by 20.3% in June 2026 quarter
  • Poultry & meat products industry’s sales grow by 76.2% in June 2026 quarter
  • Growth in viscose staple fibre exports slows down in May 2026

Singapore Market Roundup (14-Aug-2026): RHB and DBS keep ‘neutral’ stance on Wilmar after strong

By Singapore Market Roundup

  • RHB and DBS maintain ‘neutral’ outlook on Wilmar despite strong 2QFY2026 results.
  • Analysts remain optimistic about Frencken’s outlook for the strong second half.
  • Analysts remain optimistic on Singtel after 1QFY2027 earnings exceeded forecasts.

AUCTUS ON FRIDAY – 14.08.2026

By Auctus Advisors

  • AUCTUS PUBLICATIONS ________________________________________ ADX Energy (ADX AU)C; Target price of A$0.16 per share: Well test update in Austria – The pressure build up analysis of first Hall zone at HOCH-1 indicates good reservoir productivity (3.5 mmcf/d potential) with a sand extent of at least 600 metres from the HOCH-1 wellbore.
  • Recently reprocessed pre stacked depth migrated 3D seismic mapping of the Hall Channel Sands intersected in the deeper section of the HOCH-1 well have been correlated to nearby wells (2.5-3.0 km away) indicating the potential for a large lateral extension of several sand bodies planned to be tested during the remaining program.
  • A Hall sand and a Hall Channel sand will be tested during the remaining phase 1 test program later this month.

Asia Real Estate Tracker (14-Aug-2026): GIC funds $318M purchase of Sydney tower by Investa.

By Asia Real Estate Tracker

  • Singapore’s GIC has provided financing for Investa’s acquisition of a Sydney tower valued at $318 million.
  • Singapore’s CDL reported a significant profit increase, tripling to $236 million in the first half due to completed projects.
  • CapitaLand Investment identified potential asset sales worth up to $7 billion, with a 14% rise in H1 profit.

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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Japan Morning Connection: Liberware and Terradrone Stand to Gain as US Targets Chinese Drone Makers and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • Japan Morning Connection: Liberware and Terradrone Stand to Gain as US Targets Chinese Drone Makers
  • Indonesia Beauty & Personal Care E-Commerce 2026 | Cube
  • Where Is the True Value in the Optics Trade? A Comparison of 3 ETFs
  • Marina Bay & Bugis Reimagined: Unlocking Value Across Singapore’s Core City Belt
  • Exencial Industry Tidings 13-8-26
  • Asia Real Estate Tracker (13-Aug-2026): Digital Realty trades Asia assets for US data centers.
  • Singapore Market Roundup (13-Aug-2026): OCBC and CGSI maintain buy ratings for Info-Tech Systems.
  • AI Flow Private Pools Newsletter : Exploring Private Company Valuations in AI – Aug 13, 2026


Japan Morning Connection: Liberware and Terradrone Stand to Gain as US Targets Chinese Drone Makers

By Andrew Jackson

  • Kioxia likely to see another strong day after Sandisk was +13.7% after announcing positive long-term guidance.
  • SPE may face pressure after AMAT’s guidance beat failed to impress despite topping estimates.
  • Liberware and Terradrone may gain a competitive edge after new US tariffs target Chinese drone makers at up to 100%.

Indonesia Beauty & Personal Care E-Commerce 2026 | Cube

By Simon Torring

  • Indonesia’s Beauty & Personal Care e-commerce category grew 27% year on year in 2025 to roughly 137 trillion IDR across the three platforms Cube tracks inTradewinds: Shopee, TikTok Shop, and Lazada.
  • Shopee still holds the largest share, but TikTok Shop has nearly caught up, closing to 47% against Shopee’s 50% in Q1 2026.
  • Here is what the data says about the platforms, the brands, and the tactics defining the category.

Where Is the True Value in the Optics Trade? A Comparison of 3 ETFs

By Raghav Vashisht

  • Three distinct ways to play AI bandwidth. LAZR buys upstream components, LYTE buys transceiver assembly, and EUV buys the semiconductor capital stack.
  • Our holdings analysis shows LAZR’s equal-weighted and current-weighted returns aligned efficiently, while LYTE’s complex leverage and cash positioning blunted its upside.
  • EUV provides diversified capex exposure, sacrificing pure-play optics for a highly balanced bet on the broader semiconductor manufacturing system required for AI scale-out.

Marina Bay & Bugis Reimagined: Unlocking Value Across Singapore’s Core City Belt

By 8VantEdge

  • Singapore’s core city belt has evolved into a single continuous live-work-play corridor, functioning as one integrated asset base rather than a set of separately planned districts.
  • Three converging forces are driving this transition: (1) constrained Grade A office supply in Marina Bay and the wider CBD; (2) improving transport and pedestrian connections across Marina Bay, Marina Centre, Beach Road and Bugis; and (3) the continued development of Bugis as a mixed-use arts, cultural and educational district.
  • Together, these trends support viewing the corridor as a single investment ecosystem, where the value of individual assets is increasingly influenced by the strength of the surrounding precinct.

Exencial Industry Tidings 13-8-26

By Viral Kishorchandra Shah

  • Exports grew by 15% during Apr-Jul 2026, says Piyush Goyal
  • Inspectors seize 18,000 boxes of Diageo liquor bottles in food safety crackdown Indian inspectors
  • Opening stocks of cotton for 2026-27 likely to be at record-high of 9.3 mln bales

Asia Real Estate Tracker (13-Aug-2026): Digital Realty trades Asia assets for US data centers.

By Asia Real Estate Tracker

  • Digital Realty is exchanging its Singapore and Osaka assets for US data centers via a REIT deal.
  • Warburg Pincus and Kio are working to raise $1.8 billion for a living portfolio emphasizing student housing.
  • GDS-linked DayOne has filed for a $5 billion IPO in the US, reflecting trends in Asia-Pacific real estate.

Singapore Market Roundup (13-Aug-2026): OCBC and CGSI maintain buy ratings for Info-Tech Systems.

By Singapore Market Roundup

  • OCBC and CGSI keep buy recommendations for Info-Tech Systems.                                       
  • Maybank rates Info-Tech Systems as a ‘buy’ at $1.46.
  • DBS keeps ‘hold’ rating and $1 target for Delfi.

AI Flow Private Pools Newsletter : Exploring Private Company Valuations in AI – Aug 13, 2026

By Water Tower Research

  • WTR AI Flow Private Pools Index update. Using data from PM Insights, we track private AI company valuations and created a market value-weighted WTR AI Flow Private Pools Index.
  • As of 8/10/26, the index had 43 active constituents and a total market value of $2.86 trillion.
  • The two largest constituents are Anthropic (46%) and OpenAI (33%). Note, these valuations reflect recent secondary-market bids and offers rather than a completed financing round.

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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Ohayo Japan | AI Earnings Fuel Tech Rally as CPI Keeps Fed Patient and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • Ohayo Japan | AI Earnings Fuel Tech Rally as CPI Keeps Fed Patient
  • CHINA/HK: AI & RX – Together At Last !!
  • Japan Morning Connection: QD Laser May Recover From Earnings Miss on Positive Lumentum Read-Through
  • Asia Real Estate Tracker: Hillhouse and Partners Buy Singapore Office Blocks for $144M.
  • Quick Commerce in India: The Shift Towards Sustainable Growth
  • Singapore Market Roundup (07-Aug-2026): Broker’s Digest: Hongkong Land, Apac Realty, Lum Chang,
  • Singapore Market Roundup (12-Aug-2026): Maybank initiates ‘buy’ on Info-Tech Systems at $1.46.
  • Energy Roundup : 1H26 M&A Overview; No Strait of Hormuz Reopening Deal in Sight
  • What’s News in Amsterdam – 12 August (ABN Amro)


Ohayo Japan | AI Earnings Fuel Tech Rally as CPI Keeps Fed Patient

By Mark Chadwick

  • CoreWeave, Nebius and Super Micro all delivered exceptional growth, backlogs and/or guidance, reinforcing the strength of the AI capex cycle; their shares surged 19–32%.
  • US July CPI met expectations, allowing the Fed to remain patient and supporting tech equities, while markets still retain some probability of year-end tightening. 
  • Japan Machine-tool orders rose 50% YoY, led by semiconductors and data centres

CHINA/HK: AI & RX – Together At Last !!

By David Mudd

  • China’s AI-driven drug discovery (AIDD) sector is growing rapidly, with leading drug and biotech companies entering R&D and drug-development partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies.
  • Over 30% of new drugs were developed using AI tools in 2025, with discovery timelines reduced by 25–50%, and the industry is projected to grow by 25%/year through 2033.
  • Insilico Medicine (3696 HK) is a pure-play AIDD company. Insilico operates an end-to-end AI drug discovery platform (Pharma.AI) spanning target identification, molecule generation, and clinical trial outcome prediction. 

Japan Morning Connection: QD Laser May Recover From Earnings Miss on Positive Lumentum Read-Through

By Andrew Jackson

  • QD Laser, Seiko Giken and Santec may see gains after Lumentum’s strong beat lifted optical peers.
  • Kioxia is set for more of a rebound as memory rallied overnight, with the stock still forming a base after a 68% drawdown from June highs.
  • From its May highs.Astroscale may see some recovery after SpaceX’s +9.6% overnight gain, with the stock still down 57% from its May highs.

Asia Real Estate Tracker: Hillhouse and Partners Buy Singapore Office Blocks for $144M.

By Asia Real Estate Tracker

  • Hillhouse, in collaboration with Hulic and Risa, has acquired office blocks in Singapore for $144 million.
  • CapitaLand Ascott Trust has purchased a co-living asset from Coliwoo for a total of $105 million.
  • GIC is actively seeking buyers for $1 billion in stakes in private equity funds in the region.

Quick Commerce in India: The Shift Towards Sustainable Growth

By Sudarshan Bhandari

  • Blinkit’s Q1 FY27 NOV grew 86% YoY with 0.6% adjusted EBITDA margin, while Instamart contribution margin improved 440 bps YoY to -0.2% and Zepto’s orders/store/day surged 50% YoY. .
  • The operating debate is shifting from delivery speed and gross store additions to customer density, per-store throughput, advertising income, assortment depth and contribution per order.
  • Zepto has the strongest throughput momentum but the largest disclosed loss pool. Instamart is making credible margin progress, although recent volume and store-productivity growth is less aggressive.

Singapore Market Roundup (07-Aug-2026): Broker’s Digest: Hongkong Land, Apac Realty, Lum Chang,

By Singapore Market Roundup

  • Broker’s Digest: Hongkong Land, Apac Realty, Lum Chang, Jardine C&C, UI Boustead REIT
  • JP Morgan’s initial take: strong beat, raised guidance, but big 3x book discounts.
  • Tuan Sing’s net profit fell 75% year-on-year in 1HFY2026.

Singapore Market Roundup (12-Aug-2026): Maybank initiates ‘buy’ on Info-Tech Systems at $1.46.

By Singapore Market Roundup

  • Maybank starts ‘buy’ rating for Info-Tech Systems at $1.46.                        
  • DBS keeps ‘hold’ recommendation and $1 target price for Delfi.
  • DBS maintains MoneyMax valuation at $1.13 without a rating change.

Energy Roundup : 1H26 M&A Overview; No Strait of Hormuz Reopening Deal in Sight

By Water Tower Research

  • US oil & gas E&P M&A activity was down markedly in 2Q26 versus 1Q26. 
  • The US upstream M&A deal value declined to $9.1 billion in 2Q26, a 76% drop compared with 1Q26 and also recorded the third-lowest quarterly total since 2020 (despite the Iran war-driven oil price volatility). 
  • Public E&P operators remained the dominant buyers during the quarter, including the Talos Energy & Ridgewood deal to acquire Shell Gulf of America deepwater assets for $1.7 billion and Diversified Energy’s $1.2 billion deal for Camino Natural Resources and its Oklahoma Anadarko Basin assets (see Figure 1 for the top five deals in 2Q26). 

What’s News in Amsterdam – 12 August (ABN Amro)

By The IDEA!

  • ABN Amro’s 2Q26 results came in clearly better than expected.
  • Both NII and net fee & commission income showed a clear beat of consensus.
  • Total costs were lower, both YoY and when compared with consensus, despite a bigger than expected increase in personnel expenses.

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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Ohayo Japan | Stocks Slip Ahead of CPI as Energy Outperforms and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • Ohayo Japan | Stocks Slip Ahead of CPI as Energy Outperforms
  • Japan Morning Connection: Intel’s Upsized Share Offering May Lift Suppliers Lasertec, Screen and TOK
  • Japan Autos: The Weak Yen Illusion in Q1 FY2027 — Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki
  • LAZR: When a Photonics ETF Becomes a Private AI Wrapper
  • Venture Capital – An AI- Powered Revival
  • India Quick Commerce Monthly – Economics Takes Center Stage
  • Singapore Market Roundup (11-Aug-2026): DBS, PhillipCapital maintain ‘buy’ on Elite UK REIT post
  • Asia Real Estate Tracker (11-Aug-2026): Cbus Property buys Aussie mall for $919M from Lendlease.
  • Exencial Industry Tidings- 11-08-2026
  • Secondaries – Life After the Honeymoon


Ohayo Japan | Stocks Slip Ahead of CPI as Energy Outperforms

By Mark Chadwick

  • US indices ended the day with slightly lower, with SPX -0.3% and Nasdaq -0.6%.
  • Traders await US CPI on Wednesday, which will be key in shaping expectations for the September FOMC meeting.
  • On Holding shares fell 19% after weaker-than-expected wholesale sales, prompting lower 2026 guidance

Japan Morning Connection: Intel’s Upsized Share Offering May Lift Suppliers Lasertec, Screen and TOK

By Andrew Jackson

  • Intel’s upsized $20bn share offering points to increased capex plans, a positive for Japanese SPE and its main suppliers.
  • Interesting news that SpaceX is chasing the low-band spectrum with comments to the FCC that it looks to “advance rapid, widespread deployment of flexible broadband spectrum resources”.
  • Kioxia may feel slight pressure with news its Y800bn buyback has concluded.

Japan Autos: The Weak Yen Illusion in Q1 FY2027 — Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki

By Mo Aziz

  • Currency drove a third or more of earnings at key Japanese automakers, but the market rewarded headline growth instead of earnings quality.
  • Nissan and Suzuki improved on largely unaided fundamentals, while Honda and Subaru are priced for more than they delivered.
  • The quarter was less about who beat expectations than who generated earnings without relying on the weak yen.

LAZR: When a Photonics ETF Becomes a Private AI Wrapper

By Raghav Vashisht

  • Tema’s LAZR launched as a photonics basket but quickly added Anthropic SPV exposure. This position plunged from 12.06% to under 5.0% in three weeks, highlighting private-asset ETF volatility.
  • Daily ETF liquidity does not make the underlying SPV liquid. Moreover, Anthropic publicly prohibits SPVs from acquiring its stock, raising questions about the exact legal claim LAZR holds.
  • Research partner SemiAnalysis now spans market-moving CPO research, ETF product design, along with a newly filed venture fund. This expanding footprint creates a high bar for disclosure and governance.

Venture Capital – An AI- Powered Revival

By The Fund Review

  • The Venture Capital sector is emerging as one of the clear winners of the AI revolution, reversing a troubled outlook in the wak e of interest rate hikes in 2022.
  • Huge demand for the next gener ation of AI powered tech firms. Is leading to a scale of funding for both companies and funds that is transform ing the complexion of the asset class.
  • Performance has been excellent and semi -liquid funds following Venture Capital and Growth strategies have de livered substantial outperformance v ersus their investment trust counterparts.

India Quick Commerce Monthly – Economics Takes Center Stage

By Garvit Bhandari

  • The five largest players added 900 dark stores between April-July 2026, but unique pin codes served rose just 152, the expansion is now about density and overlap, not new geography
  • Blinkit turned adjusted EBITDA positive in Q1 FY27 (INR 1,020 million) while Swiggy Instamart’s contribution margin reached near breakeven at -0.2% of GOV; profitability is finally converging with scale.
  • Zepto deferred its IPO by two quarters on valuation pushback and is raising INR 1,000cr pre-IPO at a US$4.5 billion mark, below its US$5bn last round.

Singapore Market Roundup (11-Aug-2026): DBS, PhillipCapital maintain ‘buy’ on Elite UK REIT post

By Singapore Market Roundup

  • DBS and PhillipCapital keep ‘buy’ on Elite UK REIT after 1HFY2026 results.
  • Lim & Tan starts coverage on Sasseur REIT, targeting a price of 91 cents.
  • DBS and CGSI boost YZJ Shipbuilding targets after record earnings and high margins.

Asia Real Estate Tracker (11-Aug-2026): Cbus Property buys Aussie mall for $919M from Lendlease.

By Asia Real Estate Tracker

  • Cbus Property plans to acquire a stake in an Australian shopping mall for $919 million from Lendlease.
  • Samsung SRA has sold the Gangnam Tower in South Korea to a non-profit organization for $314 million.
  • IOI Properties has received conditional approval for a substantial $1.9 billion REIT in the latest updates.

Exencial Industry Tidings- 11-08-2026

By Viral Kishorchandra Shah

  • ISMA, NFCSF urge govt to exempt sugar from mandatory jute packaging
  • FAIFA expresses concern over Tobacco Board’s decision to reduce crop size
  • Winsome Textile Inds.’ sales up by 6.9% in June 2026 quarter

Secondaries – Life After the Honeymoon

By The Fund Review

  • Secondaries funds tend to deliver their strongest performance at the start of their life  reflecting the acqusition of discounted assets that are large relative to the standing portfolio
  • Over the long -term, performance from secondaries funds trend s down a slower pace but they have delivered excellent returns over a long holding period.
  • The slow pace of portfolio exits from traditonal, drawdown funds continues to make the secondaries market a useful source of liquidity for Limited Partners . Investors providing capital into this market are benefitting from a wide range of buying options and attractive  pricing creating conditions for strong forward -looking returns.

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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): India QSR: Turnaround in Sector After 2 Years of Lag! and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • India QSR: Turnaround in Sector After 2 Years of Lag!
  • Asia Real Estate Tracker (10-Aug-2026): IOI Properties Secures Approval for $1.9B REIT Deal
  • CR Land & The C-REIT Gold Rush: Monetizing Malls for Massive Re-Rating
  • US EV Charging Infrastructure Tracker – July 2026: Momentum Builds, But the 2030 Gap Persists


India QSR: Turnaround in Sector After 2 Years of Lag!

By Nimish Maheshwari

  • Q1 FY27 delivered positive SSSG/LFL for six of seven tracked brand KPIs. Burger King India led at 12.6%.
  • The recovery is largely transaction- and guest-count-led, creating better operating leverage than a price-only growth cycle.
  • Raw store additions are no longer enough. Investors should track mature-store sales, closure quality and pre-Ind AS restaurant margins together.

Asia Real Estate Tracker (10-Aug-2026): IOI Properties Secures Approval for $1.9B REIT Deal

By Asia Real Estate Tracker

  • IOI Properties has secured conditional approval for a $1.9 billion Real Estate Investment Trust, marking a significant development in the APAC real estate market.
  • Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund reported a record $152 billion gain due to a stock market rally, showcasing the financial strength in the region.
  • UAE’s Mubadala is pursuing a $6.3 billion data center project in Japan, indicating robust investment activity in the real estate sector across Asia.

CR Land & The C-REIT Gold Rush: Monetizing Malls for Massive Re-Rating

By Jacob Cheng

  • China’s C-REIT expansion unlocks massive liquidity, allowing heavy-asset developers to monetize illiquid retail properties and drastically de-lever balance sheets.
  • CR Land is the sector gold standard, targeting a CNY 60 bn public REIT portfolio and pivoting to generate over 50% profit from recurring income.
  • A compelling yield spread between 5% C-REIT distributions and 1.70% government bonds drives institutional capital inflows, triggering a profound equity re-rating.

US EV Charging Infrastructure Tracker – July 2026: Momentum Builds, But the 2030 Gap Persists

By Garvit Bhandari

  • US public EV charging stations reached 83,519 as of July 31, 2026 (up 4.1% versus end-FY25), with total EVSE ports at 258,754, up 6.9% from end-2025 and 1.4% month-over-month
  • Active DC Fast ports rose 1.8% month-on-month to 74,343, reversing June’s dip; California leads with 24.5% of DC Fast ports, while Tesla commands 50.6% of the US DC Fast base
  • NREL sees a need for 1.0 million Level 2 chargers and 182,000 DC Fast points by 2030, at current growth rates, the US is likely to fall short.

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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): This Week in AI (Aug 2-8): MiniMax H3 Led Video AI; DeepSeek Raises Price and Resumes Funding and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • This Week in AI (Aug 2-8): MiniMax H3 Led Video AI; DeepSeek Raises Price and Resumes Funding
  • Ohayo Japan | S&P 500 Hits Record Close as Semiconductors Rally
  • SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY CYCLE MONITOR — Issue #5 | 1-8 Aug 2026
  • Berkshire Buying Back Stock = Stock Undervalued!


This Week in AI (Aug 2-8): MiniMax H3 Led Video AI; DeepSeek Raises Price and Resumes Funding

By Ke Yan, CFA, FRM

  • We tracked AI models, infrastructure, and M&A this week: MiniMax H3 topped video editing while DeepSeek moved toward higher API pricing.
  • China labs are active: Alibaba launched Qwen3.8-Max, Tencent expanded Hy3, ByteDance accepted a frontier gap, and Kimi K3 escaped a test sandbox.
  • Infrastructure and financing: memory makers expanded capacity, CoreWeave and Microsoft added data centers, and Switch filed for a US IPO.

Ohayo Japan | S&P 500 Hits Record Close as Semiconductors Rally

By Mark Chadwick

  • US stocks extended gains: The S&P 500 rose 3.6% for the week to a record close above 7,700, while the Nasdaq surged 5.2%, marking a second consecutive weekly gain
  • Tech shares rallied on earnings: Software, Cloudflare, Atlassian, and Airbnb gained following upbeat earnings and forecasts, easing concerns over potential AI-driven disruption.
  • Labor market softened: July nonfarm payrolls unexpectedly fell by 23,000, while the unemployment rate edged down to 4.1% and wage growth slowed to its lowest pace since May 2021.

SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY CYCLE MONITOR — Issue #5 | 1-8 Aug 2026

By Mo Aziz

  • SanDisk smashed Q4 FY26 on every metric — $8.97B revenue, 84.6% gross margin, EPS $39.25 — then guided Q1 FY27 fractionally below the whisper. NAND cycle intact; Korea disagreed violently.
  • SK Hynix stop triggered 6 August. Week seven of Korea’s forced-selling correction; FSC margin rules now live; ₩27.9T margin loans vs ₩38.6T June peak. Clearing, not collapsing.
  • Top Trade rotates to Samsung at ₩231,000 — 3.21x P/B, ₩89.2T Q2 DS operating profit, ₩90T buyback pending. The cheapest large-cap memory name globally.

Berkshire Buying Back Stock = Stock Undervalued!

By Maverick Equity Research

  • Dear all, Berkshire Hathaway’s 2nd quarter 2026 earnings came out yesterday, August 8th.  Stock Buybacks
  • As I anticipated in my preview report three weeks ago, Berkshire’s share repurchases proved to be a big surprise.
  • Moreover, my forecast was not only correct directionally , but also numbers wise, highly accurate!

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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): India: Defense Privatization | Private Players Awarded Key Projects and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • India: Defense Privatization | Private Players Awarded Key Projects
  • APAC Healthcare Weekly (August 9) – Hengrui, CSPC Pharma, Takeda Pharma, Otsuka, Alteogen
  • China Healthcare Weekly Wrap (3-7 Aug)


India: Defense Privatization | Private Players Awarded Key Projects

By Ankit Agrawal, CFA

  • Today, the share of private players in defense manufacturing is around 20-25%. Most of the private participation has been as tier-2/tier-3 suppliers or as peripheral vendors for component manufacturing. 
  • However, this has been changing. In recent times, contracts for defense equipments and systems have been awarded through competitive bidding to private players vs direct nomination exclusively to PSUs earlier.
  • For the first time in India’s history, a private player led consortium is slated to win a major defense project that entails developing prototype of Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

APAC Healthcare Weekly (August 9) – Hengrui, CSPC Pharma, Takeda Pharma, Otsuka, Alteogen

By Tina Banerjee

  • Hengrui Pharmaceuticals’ trastuzumab rezetecan got third indication approval in China for colorectal cancer. CSPC Pharma and AstraZeneca entered JV contract for the construction of new-generation biologics manufacturing facility in China.
  • Takeda Pharmaceutical got FDA approval for Orzeyful for narcolepsy type 1. As a first-in-class orexin treatment, Orzeyful is the only medicine indicated in the U.S. to treat the disease holistically.
  • Otsuka announced new data from the Phase 3 trial demonstrating that Voyxact stabilizes kidney function decline. Alteogen signed an exclusive license agreement with a global pharmaceutical company for ALT-B4. 

China Healthcare Weekly Wrap (3-7 Aug)

By Wilfred Yuen

  • Wuxi Apptec 2Q26 results beat on strong QoQ growth in TIDES. BeOne 2Q26 results driven by robust Brukinsa revenue (+14% QoQ to USD1.2bn). Zai 2Q26 +11% QoQ in product revenue
  • Innovent robust 2Q26 product revenue +60% YoY (or +13% QoQ) to RMB4.3bn; RemeGen 1H26 results preview: strong revenue growth + turnaround in profit; Alphamab licensed-out TROP2/HER3 ADC to Pathos AI.
  • Other updates include Hengrui, Wuxi Biologics, Metis Techbio, CSPC, and Akeso.

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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Japan Strategy Weekly | All About Earnings and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • Japan Strategy Weekly | All About Earnings
  • China Housing – A Mid-Year Check 2026
  • AUCTUS ON FRIDAY – 07.08.2026


Japan Strategy Weekly | All About Earnings

By Mark Chadwick

  • Japan and US conducted first joint yen-buying intervention in 15 years after yen hit ¥164/$; now trading ~¥158.
  • Cabinet approved cutting food/beverage consumption tax from 8% to 1% for two years from April 2027, funded without new bonds.
  • Strong earnings beats and guidance hikes at Fujikura, Furukawa Electric, Yamaha Motor and Mitsubishi Materials.

China Housing – A Mid-Year Check 2026

By Robert Ciemniak

  • With full June and some July 2026 data, we take a look at where things stand in China’s housing markets and compare with expectations from the end of 2025.
  • The primary and secondary markets are now framed as one, the ‘Support not Stimulus’ policy theme continues, with city-level differences; in contrast to the mainland, the Hong Kong rebound continues. 
  • The new REF China Housing Sentiment Index has deteriorated recently but remains in an upward trend.

AUCTUS ON FRIDAY – 07.08.2026

By Auctus Advisors

  • AUCTUS PUBLICATIONS ________________________________________ ADX Energy (ADX)C; Target price of A$0.16 per share: 2Q26 update – 2Q26 WI production in Austria was 197 boe/d.
  • Current production is 270 boe/d.
  • Arrow Exploration (AXL LN/CN)C; Target price of £0.55 per share: Reserves addition in Gacheta reservoir at Icaco.

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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Ohayo Japan | De-Risking and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • Ohayo Japan | De-Risking
  • [Memory Q2: Part 2] The Contract-Backed Cycle and the Cash Mountain
  • Nobody Subsidises a Down Jacket
  • Singapore Market Roundup (06-Aug-2026): Solid beat, raised guidance, but 3x book discounts: JP
  • SpaceX & Berkshire, Fair Isaac, Blackrock, Margin Loans + S&P 500 ATHs & Valuation
  • Strait of Hormuz Week 24: Traffic Rebounds, the IRGC Strikes Back, Oil Majors Deliver Bumper Profits
  • What’s News in Amsterdam
  • Asia Real Estate Tracker (06-Aug-2026): GIC sells $1B in private equity fund stakes, APAC news.
  • WTR Small-Cap Spotlight Recap : Data Centers’ Strategic Positioning Likely Benefits US Natural Gas
  • Energy Roundup : Big Oil’s Big Profits; US and Iran Back to the Negotiating Table


Ohayo Japan | De-Risking

By Mark Chadwick

  • Risk-Off overnight: US equities fell as yields and oil rose, with AI capex jitters resurfacing after weak Sandisk/Western Digital earnings.
  • Japan earnings season in full swing: strong beats/raises across semis, industrials and consumer names, but the market rotated away from crowded AI plays toward names with clearer earnings visibility.
  • What to watch today: further AI/semicap de-risking vs. domestic earnings rotation, with USD/JPY and bond yields as the key drivers.

[Memory Q2: Part 2] The Contract-Backed Cycle and the Cash Mountain

By Raghav Vashisht

  • Samsung and SK hynix are projecting $263 billion in combined net cash by year-end, intensifying pressure to move beyond 50% free-cash-flow payout targets.
  • Customer deposits and price floors underwrite new capacity, significantly improving demand visibility and weakening the traditional cycle-risk argument for holding massive excess cash.
  • While LTAs de-risk memory, capital demands remain high. Samsung’s foundry requires heavy investment, and both firms face potential supply-chain contingencies at their Chinese fabs.

Nobody Subsidises a Down Jacket

By Samir Mehta

  • Over a 6 year period from 2009 till 2014, a Chinese manufacturer of down jackets undertook some dramatic decisions.
  • They bought a six-storey building in Mayfair as a flagship store for a premium menswear collection.
  • They also bought two British formal menswear brands with 88 retail outlet, opened a pop-up in New York, looked at retail space on Fifth Avenue, launched brands in Rome, all while back home they were expanding retail stores across China, at a furious pace.

Singapore Market Roundup (06-Aug-2026): Solid beat, raised guidance, but 3x book discounts: JP

By Singapore Market Roundup

  • Solid beat, raised guidance, but 3x book discounts significantly: JP Morgan.
  • RHB raises Lum Chang Creations’ target price to 59 cents after contract win.
  • Pang of DBS upholds ‘buy’ rating and $35.50 target on Jardine C&C.

SpaceX & Berkshire, Fair Isaac, Blackrock, Margin Loans + S&P 500 ATHs & Valuation

By Maverick Equity Research

  • SpaceX (SPCX) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK), naturally not an apples to apples comparison, but a very ‘valuation’ kind of comparison and food for thought.
  • To begin with, when SpaceX IPO-ed, many of you will recall this chart that I posted:
  • SpaceX (SPCX) at $2.1 trillion market capitalisation. Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB) at $1.05 market cap

Strait of Hormuz Week 24: Traffic Rebounds, the IRGC Strikes Back, Oil Majors Deliver Bumper Profits

By Mo Aziz

  • SoH transits surged 87% WoW to 84 vessels (27 Jul–2 Aug), but two Greek-controlled vessels — Gaslog Shanghai and Minoan Pioneer — were struck this week.
  • MoU collapse leaves a second tranche of 65 ships stranded; at least 70 vessels that entered in February have yet to exit approaching the six-month mark.
  • Bab el-Mandeb traffic fell 24% WoW after Houthi maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia took effect 20 July; tanker disruption concentrated, Suez Canal unaffected.

What’s News in Amsterdam

By The IDEA!

  • Ahold Delhaize | demonstrated its resilience in 2Q26
  • Heineken | 1H26 results in broadly in line with consensus; momentum improving
  • Wolters Kluwer | solid first half year; reiterates FY26 guidance. TKH Group | two inter-array cable orders pending after Vattenfall’s award wins

Asia Real Estate Tracker (06-Aug-2026): GIC sells $1B in private equity fund stakes, APAC news.

By Asia Real Estate Tracker

  • GIC plans to divest $1 billion in stakes from private equity funds amid notable market shifts.
  • In Australia, the merger of pension funds Aware and Prime Plan results in a combined value of $179 billion.
  • Centurion’s $268 million bid for a dormitory site and a $450 million bid by tycoon cousins highlight Singapore’s real estate activity.

WTR Small-Cap Spotlight Recap : Data Centers’ Strategic Positioning Likely Benefits US Natural Gas

By Water Tower Research

  • Why are data centers so energy-intensive? Roughly half of the electric power demand of data centers is directly associated with the daily operation of IT equipment.
  • Computing chips typically consume the most electrical power inside a server and computing power and server systems account for ~40% of electricity consumption in a data center, while network and data storage equipment use ~10%.
  • That leaves water-intensive cooling for much of the remaining 50%.

Energy Roundup : Big Oil’s Big Profits; US and Iran Back to the Negotiating Table

By Water Tower Research

  • Iran war fallout helps oil majors record mega 2Q earnings. 
  • The US public majors reported 2Q26 earnings over the past week that were their highest in several years (Figure 1). 
  • The companies benefited from the Iran war-induced higher crude oil prices along with stellar refining margins. 

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Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Ohayo Japan | Capex Fears Resurface and more

By | Daily Briefs, Thematic (Sector/Industry)

In today’s briefing:

  • Ohayo Japan | Capex Fears Resurface
  • Investing in Data Centres
  • Japan Morning Connection: Memory Names Set for a Tough Session After Sandisk, WD Earnings Disappoint


Ohayo Japan | Capex Fears Resurface

By Mark Chadwick

  • US: Dow hit fresh highs, S&P flat, but AI capex fears resurface – AMD/SpaceX lower despite beats; Google reorganized DeepMind amid Dean’s exit.
  • OMRON (6645 JP): Q1 operating profit +226% YoY on AI/semiconductor capex demand; FY guidance raised ¥62bn→¥80bn (+42% YoY) – biggest beat.
  • Watch JP semiconductor/AI-capex names for “beat but sell” risk mirroring AMD, WD, Sandisk

Investing in Data Centres

By Garreth Elston

  • Data centres trade as real estate but do not behave like it: value is set by secured, energised power, execution capability and regulation, not by location or floor space.
  • Valuation requires triangulation across various methodologies. The metrics that matter are contracted versus energised MW, WALE by contract type, PUE trajectory and ESG compliance against regulatory thresholds.
  • Six SGX-listed vehicles offer differentiated exposure: three pure-plays (Keppel DC REIT, Digital Core REIT, NTT DC REIT) and three diversified names (CapitaLand Ascendas REIT, Mapletree Industrial Trust, CapitaLand India Trust).

Japan Morning Connection: Memory Names Set for a Tough Session After Sandisk, WD Earnings Disappoint

By Andrew Jackson

  • Kioxia, Minebea Misumi and Hoya may face a wobbly open after both Sandisk and WD missed expectations.
  • Sumco and Shin Etsu could see limited impact or even gains from proposed US polysilicon tariffs, as both source directly from US-based suppliers.
  • SpaceX dropped -13.6% after earnings AH yesterday, which looked good, but the firm spooked the mkt with its higher AI spend.

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