Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Equity Analyst

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.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Market expectations for Yakult's 1QFY24 earnings seem weak, with consensus looking light, and the share price currently lingering near the lower boundary of the minus 2x trend channel.</li>
<li>Therefore, we believe that even a minor earnings beat next week could potentially drive <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/yakult-honsha-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17153:1" rel="noopener">Yakult Honsha (2267 JP)</a>'s share price back up to the ¥10,000 level.</li>
<li>We anticipate that Yakult 1000 has the potential to drive that earnings beat, as it is projected to grow by as much as 65% YoY this quarter.</li>
</ul>


Market expectations for Yakult's 1QFY24 earnings seem weak, with consensus looking light, and the share price currently lingering near the lower boundary of the minus 2x trend channel.
Therefore, we believe that even a minor earnings beat next week could potentially drive Yakult Honsha (2267 JP)'s share price back up to the ¥10,000 level.
We anticipate that Yakult 1000 has the potential to drive that earnings beat, as it is projected to grow by as much as 65% YoY this quarter.


Yakult: Yakult 1000 Could Deliver a Surprise Yet Again

<ul>
<li>Japan's inflation hit a 41-year high at 4.3% in January, but gradually slowed down in the following months, reaching 3.3%, 3.2%, and 3.5% in February, March, and April 2023, respectively.</li>
<li>Although Fuel, Electricity, and Water prices declined, other items excluding fresh vegetables, maintained inflation at a similar pace, suggesting that cost-push inflation continues to impact the overall economic environment.</li>
<li>This insight examines the recent quarterly performance of Yakult, Nissin, and Seven &amp; I, our top picks in the Japan Consumer Staples Sector <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-consumer-staples-sector-inflation-looks-a-blessing-in-disguise-for-those-with-pricing-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smartkarma Original</a>.</li>
</ul>


Japan's inflation hit a 41-year high at 4.3% in January, but gradually slowed down in the following months, reaching 3.3%, 3.2%, and 3.5% in February, March, and April 2023, respectively.
Although Fuel, Electricity, and Water prices declined, other items excluding fresh vegetables, maintained inflation at a similar pace, suggesting that cost-push inflation continues to impact the overall economic environment.
This insight examines the recent quarterly performance of Yakult, Nissin, and Seven &amp; I, our top picks in the Japan Consumer Staples Sector Smartkarma Original.


Japan Consumer Staples Update: Inflation Looks a Blessing in Disguise for Those with Pricing Power

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

TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We continue to recommend a tactical overweight to defensives (Staples, Health Care, and Utilities) as the MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) tests the top-end of our anticipated 2023 trading range at $93.</li>
<li>We also remain overweight Europe, Japan, and India, where a lot more than just defensives continue to outperform.</li>
<li>Actionable Themes: Consumer Discretionary and Defensives, Mainly in Japan and Europe</li>
</ul>


We continue to recommend a tactical overweight to defensives (Staples, Health Care, and Utilities) as the MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) tests the top-end of our anticipated 2023 trading range at $93.
We also remain overweight Europe, Japan, and India, where a lot more than just defensives continue to outperform.
Actionable Themes: Consumer Discretionary and Defensives, Mainly in Japan and Europe


Remain Overweight Japan, Europe, & India; Buys in Discretionary and Defensives W/ Japan/Europe Focus

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Our 2023 outlook, initially discussed in our January 6th 2023 Int'l Compass, was for $93 to cap upside on the MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US); this has again proven prescient.</li>
<li>Since late-January/early-February we have recommended shifting to defensives, and MSCI ACWI defensive Sectors including Health Care (IXJ-US), Utilities (JXI-US), and Consumer Staples (KXI-US) are now hitting 3-4-month RS highs.</li>
<li>With the ACWI-US just now starting to turn down after testing $93, we continue to recommend a tactical overweight to the aforementioned defensive Sectors, and also to gold miners (GDX-US).</li>
</ul>


Our 2023 outlook, initially discussed in our January 6th 2023 Int'l Compass, was for $93 to cap upside on the MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US); this has again proven prescient.
Since late-January/early-February we have recommended shifting to defensives, and MSCI ACWI defensive Sectors including Health Care (IXJ-US), Utilities (JXI-US), and Consumer Staples (KXI-US) are now hitting 3-4-month RS highs.
With the ACWI-US just now starting to turn down after testing $93, we continue to recommend a tactical overweight to the aforementioned defensive Sectors, and also to gold miners (GDX-US).


Stay Tactically Overweight Defensives; Remain Overweight Europe, Japan, & EAFE. Buys in Defensives

<ul>
<li>The MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US), ACWI ex-US (ACWX-US), EAFE (EFA-US), and EM (EEM-US) are all reversing topside their 2-month downtrends.</li>
<li>Despite this being a bullish short-term development, we still expect $93 to cap upside on the ACWI-US, leaving about 4-5% upside from here (at time of writing)</li>
<li>As a result, we would use any further strength as an opportunity to get more defensive. Actionable Themes: REA-AU, GFL-CA, GFL-US, Consumer Staples, Health Care, and Gold Miners</li>
</ul>


The MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US), ACWI ex-US (ACWX-US), EAFE (EFA-US), and EM (EEM-US) are all reversing topside their 2-month downtrends.
Despite this being a bullish short-term development, we still expect $93 to cap upside on the ACWI-US, leaving about 4-5% upside from here (at time of writing)
As a result, we would use any further strength as an opportunity to get more defensive. Actionable Themes: REA-AU, GFL-CA, GFL-US, Consumer Staples, Health Care, and Gold Miners


Shift To Defensives as $ACWI Makes Push for $93; Remain Overweight Europe; Opptys in China/HK, Japan

Japan

YAKULT HONSHA CO., LTD produces and sells fermented milk products, soft drinks and food products.  The Company also manufactures pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.  Through its subsidiary, the professional baseball team, Tokyo Yakult Swallows is owned and managed.

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Yakult Honsha (2267 JP)

Yakult: Yakult 1000 Could Deliver a Surprise Yet Again

Yakult has historically increased the production capacity of Yakult 1000 in stages, with the majority of these increments taking place during the...

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Japan Consumer Staples Update: Inflation Looks a Blessing in Disguise for Those with Pricing Power

The prevailing inflationary environment presents an opportunity for specific Japanese Food and Beverages companies that have consistently achieved...

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Remain Overweight Japan, Europe, & India; Buys in Discretionary and Defensives W/ Japan/Europe Focus

We continue to recommend a tactical overweight to defensives as $ACWI tests the top-end of our anticipated 2023 trading range at $93. Remain...

Vermilion Research

Stay Tactically Overweight Defensives; Remain Overweight Europe, Japan, & EAFE. Buys in Defensives

$93 on $ACWI continues to be a key resistance that we have discussed since early-Jan as capping upside for 2023. Stick with defensives $IXJ $XLV...

Vermilion Research

Shift To Defensives as $ACWI Makes Push for $93; Remain Overweight Europe; Opptys in China/HK, Japan

$ACWI, $ACWX, $EFA, and $EEM all reversing topside their 2-month downtrends. Despite this bullish short-term development, we still expect $93 to...

Vermilion Research

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