Daily Brief Japan: Daiichi Sankyo, Lasertec Corp, Sumitomo Pharma and more

In today’s briefing:

Daiichi Sankyo (4568 JP) – We like the Focus on Oncology but Look for a Better Entry Point
Lasertec (6920 JP): Orders Up, Guidance Down
Sumitomo Pharma (4506 JP): FY24 Guidance Revised Lower; Further Cost Cuts in FY25 to Turn Profitable

Daiichi Sankyo (4568 JP) – We like the Focus on Oncology but Look for a Better Entry Point

Cancer is the most common cause of death in Japan, and at 282.9 cases per 100 000 people, it ranks at the upper end of the global recorded range.
In 2020, Daiichi Sankyo embarked on transforming to a leading oncology specialist in terms of new drug development.
Daiichi Sankyo’s ADC pipeline comprises of six higher level drugs with a number of indications (sub-categories). This pipeline is part of a universe of 2499 oncology drugs in development.

The share price has bounced back on strong 3Q orders and long-term optimism, but weak 4Q guidance calls the growth trajectory into question.
Guidance, which has sales dropping to about half what they were a year earlier, is based on the expected timing of customer acceptance of delivered equipment. It could be conservative.
At 75X EPS guidance for FY Jun-24, a rate of growth not visible in current trends has already been discounted. Current orders should translate into sales in 2026.

Sumitomo Pharma (4506 JP) cut FY24 revenue guidance by 1% to ¥314.6B (-43% YoY) and raised operating loss guidance by ¥199B to ¥355B. Impairment loss of ¥180B negatively impacted bottomline.
Sumitomo has set FY25 revenue guidance at ¥338B (down 27% from MTBP 2027) and core operating profit at ¥1B (down 98% from MTBP 2027). The company suspended FY25 dividend.
The company will announce FY25 guidance for operating and net profits during the announcement of FY24 result, scheduled for May 14, 2024.

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