Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets, JapanConsuming

Michael Causton

Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets

Real Insight on Japanese Consumer Markets

JapanConsuming

JapanConsuming is a specialist research firm producing intelligence on Japanese retail and consumer markets. Founded in 2000, JapanConsuming has become the leading provider of insights on Japanese retailers and consumer trends to retailers, brands, government agencies and investors. As well as a highly regarded monthly report on the market, JapanConsuming produces in-depth reports on retail sectors, seminars on key trends and telephone consulting to investors on trends and retailers.

JapanConsuming was founded by Michael Causton and Roy Larke. 

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Lowya began as an online furniture retailer and is still one of the largest in e-commerce, but limited brand awareness has held it back and sales fell last year. </li>
<li>Vega Corporation, Lowya’s parent, is now expanding physical stores and offering omnichannel solutions to fix the problem.</li>
<li>This makes sense in a market where stores remain preeminent and are likely to remain so.</li>
</ul>


Lowya began as an online furniture retailer and is still one of the largest in e-commerce, but limited brand awareness has held it back and sales fell last year. 
Vega Corporation, Lowya’s parent, is now expanding physical stores and offering omnichannel solutions to fix the problem.
This makes sense in a market where stores remain preeminent and are likely to remain so.


Vega's Lowya Expanding Omnichannel to Grow Audience

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Yesterday after the close, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fast-retailing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:751:1" rel="noopener">Fast Retailing (9983 JP)</a> reported salutary Q3 earnings, and raised its full-year (to August) guidance and its final dividend forecast (by ¥50/share)</li>
<li>Q3 revenue and profit gained sharply (Rev +13.5%, OP +31.2%) everywhere but Greater China. OPMs were up, especially in Japan. Early summer has been good, despite FX impact. </li>
<li>New guidance is above consensus, the ADR popped, and with slightly stronger yen on US CPI, that should help. But we approach end-July. Expect lots of pop-sellers.</li>
</ul>


Yesterday after the close, Fast Retailing (9983 JP) reported salutary Q3 earnings, and raised its full-year (to August) guidance and its final dividend forecast (by ¥50/share)
Q3 revenue and profit gained sharply (Rev +13.5%, OP +31.2%) everywhere but Greater China. OPMs were up, especially in Japan. Early summer has been good, despite FX impact. 
New guidance is above consensus, the ADR popped, and with slightly stronger yen on US CPI, that should help. But we approach end-July. Expect lots of pop-sellers.


Fast Retailing (9983) - Great (Bte) Earnings Now Out of The Way; Anticipating End-July Capping Data

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The three big convenience store chains all posted record financial results for FY2023. </li>
<li>The format’s limitations were exposed by the pandemic, providing a catalyst for some major changes and prompting new and innovative marketing and support services.</li>
<li>These have made the sector more robust, but whether this new surge of growth will continue in 2024 will depend on how concerned customers are with higher prices.</li>
</ul>


The three big convenience store chains all posted record financial results for FY2023. 
The format’s limitations were exposed by the pandemic, providing a catalyst for some major changes and prompting new and innovative marketing and support services.
These have made the sector more robust, but whether this new surge of growth will continue in 2024 will depend on how concerned customers are with higher prices.


Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

<ul>
<li>The review period for the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikkei-225" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22909:1" rel="noopener">Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX)</a> September rebalance ends in July. There could be three changes at the rebalance with sector balance in focus for the additions.</li>
<li>Depending on the changes, passive trackers will need to buy between 5-16x ADV (10.1%-24% of real float) on the inclusions and sell between 4-42x ADV on the deletions.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fast-retailing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:751:1" rel="noopener">Fast Retailing (9983 JP)</a> will be capped to 10% of the index weight while <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tokyo-electron-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:280:1" rel="noopener">Tokyo Electron (8035 JP)</a> is also close to the 10% cap.</li>
</ul>


The review period for the Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX) September rebalance ends in July. There could be three changes at the rebalance with sector balance in focus for the additions.
Depending on the changes, passive trackers will need to buy between 5-16x ADV (10.1%-24% of real float) on the inclusions and sell between 4-42x ADV on the deletions.

Fast Retailing (9983 JP) will be capped to 10% of the index weight while Tokyo Electron (8035 JP) is also close to the 10% cap.


Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Preview (Sep 2024): Ranking, Capping, Funding & Other Changes

David Blennerhassett

<ul>
<li>9 weeks ago, the FT reported Elliott Management had a stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mitsui-fudosan-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:565:1" rel="noopener">Mitsui Fudosan (8801 JP)</a> and had asked them to sell cross-holdings and do a ¥1trln buyback. Mitsui responds.</li>
<li>Lawrence Ho is buying <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/melco-international-development-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:809:1" rel="noopener">Melco(200 HK)</a>. While it often pays to follows where the family invests, Melco is trading too tight for what is a simple holding company structure.</li>
<li>Avoid being long <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aozora-bank-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6483:1" rel="noopener">Aozora Bank Ltd (8304 JP)</a> vs the Banks Index, a portfolio of other cheaper banks, etc. Minimal/negligible upside in following Murakami-san here. And Activism on Banks is difficult.</li>
</ul>


9 weeks ago, the FT reported Elliott Management had a stake in Mitsui Fudosan (8801 JP) and had asked them to sell cross-holdings and do a ¥1trln buyback. Mitsui responds.
Lawrence Ho is buying Melco(200 HK). While it often pays to follows where the family invests, Melco is trading too tight for what is a simple holding company structure.
Avoid being long Aozora Bank Ltd (8304 JP) vs the Banks Index, a portfolio of other cheaper banks, etc. Minimal/negligible upside in following Murakami-san here. And Activism on Banks is difficult.


Last Week in Event SPACE: Mitsui Fudosan, Melco, Aozora Bank, CGN New Energy

Japan

RYOHIN KEIKAKU CO., LTD. is a retailer and wholesaler of Mujirushi Ryohin brand products, which were originally a generic private-brand product.  The Company's product line includes knitwear, food, and household items

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
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Ryohin Keikaku (7453 JP)

Vega's Lowya Expanding Omnichannel to Grow Audience

Lowya, the online furniture retailer, is expanding physical stores and omnichannel solutions to boost sales due to limited brand awareness and...

Michael Causton

Fast Retailing (9983) - Great (Bte) Earnings Now Out of The Way; Anticipating End-July Capping Data

Fast Retailing reported great Q3 and 9mo results yesterday after the close. Revenue up, OP up, inventory problems being dealt with, higher...

Travis Lundy

Stellar Year for Conbini Chains

Convenience store chains saw record results in FY2023, with pandemic-driven changes prompting innovation and growth, but future success may hinge...

Michael Causton

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Preview (Sep 2024): Ranking, Capping, Funding & Other Changes

There could be 3 changes for the NKY in September with sector balance determining the inclusions. Fast Retailing will be capped while Tokyo...

Brian Freitas

Last Week in Event SPACE: Mitsui Fudosan, Melco, Aozora Bank, CGN New Energy

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed...

David Blennerhassett

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Vega's Lowya Expanding Omnichannel to Grow Audience

​Lowya, the online furniture retailer, is expanding physical stores and omnichannel solutions to boost sales due to limited brand awareness and...

Michael Causton

Fast Retailing (9983) - Great (Bte) Earnings Now Out of The Way; Anticipating End-July Capping Data

Fast Retailing reported great Q3 and 9mo results yesterday after the close. Revenue up, OP up, inventory problems being dealt with, higher...

Travis Lundy

Stellar Year for Conbini Chains

​Convenience store chains saw record results in FY2023, with pandemic-driven changes prompting innovation and growth, but future success may hinge...

Michael Causton

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Preview (Sep 2024): Ranking, Capping, Funding & Other Changes

There could be 3 changes for the NKY in September with sector balance determining the inclusions. Fast Retailing will be capped while Tokyo...

Brian Freitas

Last Week in Event SPACE: Mitsui Fudosan, Melco, Aozora Bank, CGN New Energy

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed...

David Blennerhassett

Lowya, the online furniture retailer, is expanding physical stores and omnichannel solutions to boost sales due to limited brand awareness and...

Convenience store chains saw record results in FY2023, with pandemic-driven changes prompting innovation and growth, but future success may hinge...