Asia L/S Equity PM/Macro/Thematic Idea Generation

Rikki Malik

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>A review of recent events/data  impacting our investment themes or outlook</li>
<li>Expectations for future US interest rate cuts get dialed back - JPY impact</li>
<li>CFTC data shows speculative froth has come out of some markets</li>
</ul>


A review of recent events/data  impacting our investment themes or outlook
Expectations for future US interest rate cuts get dialed back - JPY impact
CFTC data shows speculative froth has come out of some markets


Overview #7 Speculative Positioning Review

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>We are seeing snap-back rallies in the largest global economies -- notably the U.S. and Japan, and also Europe to a lesser extent. However...</li>
<li>We're expecting to see lower highs develop at prior breakdown levels at 2690-2700 on the TOPIX and 4884 on the EURO STOXX 50, which are significant resistance levels.</li>
<li>Watching SPX resistance at 5585, or possible test of YTD highs/marginal new high, all fitting with our ongoing belief (since July 25) that ACWI-US going through 1-to 4-month pullback/consolidation.</li>
</ul>


We are seeing snap-back rallies in the largest global economies -- notably the U.S. and Japan, and also Europe to a lesser extent. However...
We're expecting to see lower highs develop at prior breakdown levels at 2690-2700 on the TOPIX and 4884 on the EURO STOXX 50, which are significant resistance levels.
Watching SPX resistance at 5585, or possible test of YTD highs/marginal new high, all fitting with our ongoing belief (since July 25) that ACWI-US going through 1-to 4-month pullback/consolidation.


MSCI ACWI Consolidation Continues; Outlook Remains Neutral; Buys Across Defensives & Other Sectors

<ul>
<li>JPY sensitive names and foreigner favourites are unlikely to be the next driver of the market.</li>
<li>Sectors not dependent on a weak Japanese Yen are more likely to be the next winners</li>
<li>While individual stocks will still benefit from corporate governance reforms, a rising tide will not lift all boats as it has done over the last 18 months</li>
</ul>


JPY sensitive names and foreigner favourites are unlikely to be the next driver of the market.
Sectors not dependent on a weak Japanese Yen are more likely to be the next winners
While individual stocks will still benefit from corporate governance reforms, a rising tide will not lift all boats as it has done over the last 18 months


Sectors to Look at for the Japanese Stockmarket's Next Phase

<ul>
<li>The first Act of this drama has played out in a very short time frame</li>
<li>The trend has likely changed for the JPY and it won’t be back to business as usual for the carry trade</li>
<li>This should benefit both real incomes and consumption in Japan</li>
</ul>


The first Act of this drama has played out in a very short time frame
The trend has likely changed for the JPY and it won’t be back to business as usual for the carry trade
This should benefit both real incomes and consumption in Japan


Are We There Yet? What Next for Japanese Assets?

TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We continue to believe a 1-4-month pullback/consolidation is ongoing. Important supports have been violated, including $110 on MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) and $41 on MSCI EM (EEM-US).</li>
<li>We're shifting our outlook to neutral on $ACWI after being bullish since early-November 2023. Major price breakdowns combined with deteriorating market dynamics have increased the odds of a topping pattern.</li>
<li>Also downgrading Japan to market weight. 7/25/24 we said "Japan's TOPIX breaking below 2800-2815 is near-term bearish, suggests it could pull back to its long-term uptrend, or worse."</li>
</ul>


We continue to believe a 1-4-month pullback/consolidation is ongoing. Important supports have been violated, including $110 on MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) and $41 on MSCI EM (EEM-US).
We're shifting our outlook to neutral on $ACWI after being bullish since early-November 2023. Major price breakdowns combined with deteriorating market dynamics have increased the odds of a topping pattern.
Also downgrading Japan to market weight. 7/25/24 we said "Japan's TOPIX breaking below 2800-2815 is near-term bearish, suggests it could pull back to its long-term uptrend, or worse."


Downgrading Japan; Stay Defensive; Downgrading Outlook on Global Equities $ACWI to Neutral

Japan

The Nikkei-225 Stock Average is a price-weighted average of 225 top-rated Japanese companies listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Nikkei Stock Average was first published on May 16, 1949, where the average price was ¥176.21 with a divisor of 225. 

Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX)

Overview #7 Speculative Positioning Review

Recent events/data have led to a dialing back of expectations for US interest rate cuts, while CFTC data indicates a decrease in speculative...

Rikki Malik

MSCI ACWI Consolidation Continues; Outlook Remains Neutral; Buys Across Defensives & Other Sectors

MSCI $ACWI Consolidation Continues; Outlook Remains Neutral; Snap-Back Rallies in Japan $Nikkei $TOPIX, U.S. $SPX, Europe $STOXX fits with our view...

Vermilion Research

Sectors to Look at for the Japanese Stockmarket's Next Phase

JPY sensitive names and foreigner favorites may not drive the market; sectors independent of a weak Yen could be the next winners.

Rikki Malik

Are We There Yet? What Next for Japanese Assets?

The change in trend in the JPY will shift investor sector preferences and benefit segments of Japan's economy through increased real incomes and...

Rikki Malik

Downgrading Japan; Stay Defensive; Downgrading Outlook on Global Equities $ACWI to Neutral

Downgrading Japan TOPIX, Nikkei; Stay Defensive; Downgrading Outlook on Global Equities $ACWI $EEM to Neutral; Many Risk-Off Signals increase odds...

Vermilion Research

Overview #7 Speculative Positioning Review

​Recent events/data have led to a dialing back of expectations for US interest rate cuts, while CFTC data indicates a decrease in speculative...

Rikki Malik

MSCI ACWI Consolidation Continues; Outlook Remains Neutral; Buys Across Defensives & Other Sectors

MSCI $ACWI Consolidation Continues; Outlook Remains Neutral; Snap-Back Rallies in Japan $Nikkei $TOPIX, U.S. $SPX, Europe $STOXX fits with our view...

Vermilion Research

Sectors to Look at for the Japanese Stockmarket's Next Phase

​JPY sensitive names and foreigner favorites may not drive the market; sectors independent of a weak Yen could be the next winners.

Rikki Malik

Are We There Yet? What Next for Japanese Assets?

​The change in trend in the JPY will shift investor sector preferences and benefit segments of Japan's economy through increased real incomes and...

Rikki Malik

Downgrading Japan; Stay Defensive; Downgrading Outlook on Global Equities $ACWI to Neutral

Downgrading Japan TOPIX, Nikkei; Stay Defensive; Downgrading Outlook on Global Equities $ACWI $EEM to Neutral; Many Risk-Off Signals increase odds...

Vermilion Research

Recent events/data have led to a dialing back of expectations for US interest rate cuts, while CFTC data indicates a decrease in speculative...

JPY sensitive names and foreigner favorites may not drive the market; sectors independent of a weak Yen could be the next winners.

The change in trend in the JPY will shift investor sector preferences and benefit segments of Japan's economy through increased real incomes and...