In today’s briefing:
- Japan Activist Briefs | NAVF Back to Work After Trancom Windfall
- Is Quantum Computing An Existential Threat To NVIDIA?
- Ohayo Japan | Mixed Message Monday
- Japan Morning Connection: Persistent US Tech Weakness, but off the Days Lows

Japan Activist Briefs | NAVF Back to Work After Trancom Windfall
- Nippon Active Value Fund redeployed ~$30m from Trancom tender offer in November into existing holdings
- Meisei Industrial offers solid fundamentals, undervalued multiples (3.9x EV/EBITDA, 1x P/B), and potential for shareholder-friendly actions.
- Shinko Shoji buys back 10.36% of outstanding shares, following activist’s stake, and potentially paving the way for future buybacks.
Is Quantum Computing An Existential Threat To NVIDIA?
- This is the claim made by an analyst covering IonQ after Jensen’s comments at CES 2025 last week, which tanked share prices of the top four QC proponents
- The CEO’s of both D-Wave and IonQ responded rapidly with press releases refuting his claims and sharing updated, positive news wrt their financials
- What exactly did he say that caused such a response, is he correct or is QC going to eat NVIDIA’s lunch?
Ohayo Japan | Mixed Message Monday
- U.S. stock indexes were mixed on Monday as energy stocks rallied while Big Tech and retail faced headwinds
- Yaskawa Electric has downgraded its full-year earnings guidance, citing weakening demand from the semiconductor industry
- ITOCHU Corporation has invested in Protium Green Solutions, a UK-based green hydrogen production equipment provider
Japan Morning Connection: Persistent US Tech Weakness, but off the Days Lows
- Market looking past new US semi restrictions with semi majors recovering off pre-market lows.
- Earnings beat for KB Homes a shot in the arm for embattled Homebuilders… watch Sumitomo Forestry and Sekisui House for upside.
- FA major Yaskawa numbers on Friday were a miss, but signs of a bottoming emerging.