Japan/Asia Long-Short, LightStream Research

Mio Kato

Over 15 years analysing Japanese and Asian stocks from a long/short perspective

I focus on cyclically driven sectors such as Gaming, Factory Automation and Autos

An eclectic background as a long-short analyst, upper management at a financial data startup through its listing, and as the founder of a team analysing big/alternative data, all of which supports independent and differentiated views... we hope

An appreciation for Mathematics drives the development of a "Micro-Quantamental" process which can provide a data-driven, historically-informed and semi-automated foundation upon which to layer more qualitative and judgemental analysis, thus improving investment decision-making speed and accuracy

Japan/Asia Long-Short

In the Land of Japanese Beef Bowls Zensho Could Be "Don"

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

Event-Driven

<p>Together with its strong half-year earnings today, at the lunch break Zensho Holdings announced a share buyback and a share swap for the remaining shares in subsidiary Coco’s.</p><p>The company beat its half-year forecast by 9.8% at the OP continuing, announced that it would repurchase 1m shares (149.95m outstanding excluding treasury stock) and offered to swap 0.67 shares of its own stock (¥2,378 at the close of the morning session)  for each share of Coco’s Japan (¥1,413 at the close of the morning session). The premium was thus about 12.8% vs. the morning close or 10.8% vs. the previous close. This looks light to us and we expand on this below.</p>

Together with its strong half-year earnings today, at the lunch break Zensho Holdings announced a share buyback and a share swap for the remaining shares in subsidiary Coco’s.The company beat its half-year forecast by 9.8% at the OP continuing, announced that it would repurchase 1m shares (149.95m outstanding excluding treasury stock) and offered to swap 0.67 shares of its own stock (¥2,378 at the close of the morning session)  for each share of Coco’s Japan (¥1,413 at the close of the morning session). The premium was thus about 12.8% vs. the morning close or 10.8% vs. the previous close. This looks light to us and we expand on this below.

Zensho – Turning Coco’s Into a Wholly Owned Subsidiary Looks Opportunistic