Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>On 28 February, WeBull announced a merger with SK Growth Opportunities SPAC on NASDAQ. The proposed transaction represented an implied pro forma enterprise value of about $7.3 billion. </li>
<li>WeBull had 4.3 million funded accounts and  $8.2bn in assets under custody at end of 2023. In comparison, Robinhood had 23.4mn funded accounts and $102.6bn in assets under custody. </li>
<li>Given the numerous material concerns about this deal, we would avoid it. There are no financials including income statement and balance sheet of WeBull in the prospectus. </li>
</ul>


On 28 February, WeBull announced a merger with SK Growth Opportunities SPAC on NASDAQ. The proposed transaction represented an implied pro forma enterprise value of about $7.3 billion. 
WeBull had 4.3 million funded accounts and  $8.2bn in assets under custody at end of 2023. In comparison, Robinhood had 23.4mn funded accounts and $102.6bn in assets under custody. 
Given the numerous material concerns about this deal, we would avoid it. There are no financials including income statement and balance sheet of WeBull in the prospectus. 


A Merger Between WeBull and SK Growth Opportunities Corp in NASDAQ

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>The S&amp;P 500 (SPX) is back to test YTD highs and important resistance in the 5670-5783 range. This is an important target/resistance area we have discussed for weeks.</li>
<li>Using the 2007 SPX topping analog suggests a 2% or less move above the prior all-time high set in July at 5670 before topping, which gives the 5783 number.</li>
<li>As long as SPX does not have a weekly close above 5783 we continue to recommend reducing risk and shifting to defensives,and this is the ideal time to do so.</li>
</ul>


The S&amp;P 500 (SPX) is back to test YTD highs and important resistance in the 5670-5783 range. This is an important target/resistance area we have discussed for weeks.
Using the 2007 SPX topping analog suggests a 2% or less move above the prior all-time high set in July at 5670 before topping, which gives the 5783 number.
As long as SPX does not have a weekly close above 5783 we continue to recommend reducing risk and shifting to defensives,and this is the ideal time to do so.


SPX Testing Resistance as Rate Cut Cycle Begins; SPX 5670-5783 Is Resistance, 2007 Analog on Track

Douglas Research Advisory

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>On 13 June, the Korean government announced that it will extend a ban on short selling stocks in Korea until end of March 2025. </li>
<li>For now, the government has not given a 100% go-ahead on the end of the ban on short selling stocks starting 1 April 2025. </li>
<li>However, in our view, the government is likely to allow short selling stocks in Korea once again, sometime in 2Q 2025. </li>
</ul>


On 13 June, the Korean government announced that it will extend a ban on short selling stocks in Korea until end of March 2025. 
For now, the government has not given a 100% go-ahead on the end of the ban on short selling stocks starting 1 April 2025. 
However, in our view, the government is likely to allow short selling stocks in Korea once again, sometime in 2Q 2025. 


Ban on Short Selling Stocks in Korea Extended Until March 2025

Equity Bottom-Up

Mirae Asset Securities / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>It has been reported in numerous local media outlets that WeBull is discussing with the local financial authorities to enter the Korean retail stock brokerage market.</li>
<li>If the Korean financial authorities provide a license to WeBull to directly provide stock brokerage services to the Korean retail market, this would be the first case ever.</li>
<li>If FSC grants a full license to WeBull to operate stock brokerage services to retail investors in Korea, this could result in the local brokerages losing market shares to WeBull</li>
</ul>


It has been reported in numerous local media outlets that WeBull is discussing with the local financial authorities to enter the Korean retail stock brokerage market.
If the Korean financial authorities provide a license to WeBull to directly provide stock brokerage services to the Korean retail market, this would be the first case ever.
If FSC grants a full license to WeBull to operate stock brokerage services to retail investors in Korea, this could result in the local brokerages losing market shares to WeBull


WeBull In Discussions With Financial Authorities to Enter the Korean Retail Stock Brokerage Market

<ul>
<li>On 13 December, the FSS announced that foreign investors will be allowed to start purchasing Korean stocks without prior authorization starting this week. </li>
<li>The revised Capital Market Act will start to be implemented on 14 December repealing the time consuming and inconvenient pre-registration system for foreign investors.  </li>
<li>As a result of the Korean government making this change regulatory change, one of the beneficiaries is likely to be Interactive Brokers Group, Inc (IBKR US).</li>
</ul>


On 13 December, the FSS announced that foreign investors will be allowed to start purchasing Korean stocks without prior authorization starting this week. 
The revised Capital Market Act will start to be implemented on 14 December repealing the time consuming and inconvenient pre-registration system for foreign investors.  
As a result of the Korean government making this change regulatory change, one of the beneficiaries is likely to be Interactive Brokers Group, Inc (IBKR US).


Foreign Investors Allowed to Begin Buying Korean Stocks Without Prior Authorization on 14 December

United States

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. is an automated global electronic market maker and broker specializing in routing orders and executing and processing trades in securities, futures, and foreign exchange instruments.

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Interactive Brokers Group, Inc (IBKR US)

A Merger Between WeBull and SK Growth Opportunities Corp in NASDAQ

On 28 February, WeBull announced a merger with SK Growth Opportunities SPAC on NASDAQ. The proposed transaction represented an implied pro forma...

Douglas Kim

SPX Testing Resistance as Rate Cut Cycle Begins; SPX 5670-5783 Is Resistance, 2007 Analog on Track

$SPX Testing Resistance as Rate Cut Cycle Begins; SPX 5670-5783 is Resistance, 2007 Analog on Track if Below 5783. Still Neutral, prefer to sell...

Vermilion Research

Ban on Short Selling Stocks in Korea Extended Until March 2025

On 13 June, the Korean government announced it will extend a ban on short selling stocks in Korea until end of March 2025. The government is likely...

Douglas Kim

WeBull In Discussions With Financial Authorities to Enter the Korean Retail Stock Brokerage Market

If the Korean financial authorities provide a license to WeBull to directly provide stock brokerage services to the Korean retail market, this...

Douglas Kim

Foreign Investors Allowed to Begin Buying Korean Stocks Without Prior Authorization on 14 December

On 13 December, the FSS announced that foreign investors will be allowed to start purchasing Korean stocks without prior authorization starting...

Douglas Kim

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