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

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Event-Driven

At its Monetary Policy Meeting that concluded on 19 March, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) announced that they would purchase ETFs and J-REIT as necessary with upper limits of about 12 trillion yen and about 180 billion yen respectively. While the upper limits were originally set as a temporary measure in response to the impact of COVID-19, the Bank will maintain them even after COVID-19 subsides.The big change was the announcement that the BOJ would only purchase ETFs tracking the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tokyo-stock-exchange-tokyo-price-index-topix" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22910:1" rel="noopener">Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix (TPX INDEX)</a>. This means no more flows to 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> and JPX Nikkei 400 ETFs.From the increase in ETF AUM over calendar year 2020, we estimate that around 88% of the BOJ buying went into <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tokyo-stock-exchange-tokyo-price-index-topix" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22910:1" rel="noopener">Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix (TPX INDEX)</a> ETFs, with smaller amounts going into 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> and JPX Nikkei 400 ETFs.While the impact of BOJ only buying <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tokyo-stock-exchange-tokyo-price-index-topix" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22910:1" rel="noopener">Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix (TPX INDEX)</a> linked ETFs is not material for single stocks in ADV terms, there could be a bigger impact on 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> constituents if other NKY ETF holders redeem their units and sell the underlying shares.The NT ratio (NKY/TPX) had started to move lower over the last 15 trading days due to the shift from growth to value stocks. The BOJ announcement could take the ratio lower in the short term on a change in sentiment and short term flows due to repositioning of portfolios.<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nissan-chemical-industries" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4102:1" rel="noopener">Nissan Chemical Industries (4021 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/comsys-holdings-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20548:1" rel="noopener">Comsys Holdings (1721 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/konami-holdings-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13236:1" rel="noopener">Konami Holdings (9766 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kikkoman-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11720:1" rel="noopener">Kikkoman Corp (2801 JP)</a> and <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 among the most negatively affected stocks, but the impact is quite small.<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tokyo-stock-exchange-tokyo-price-index-topix" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22910:1" rel="noopener">Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix (TPX INDEX)</a> stocks (that will have passive BOJ inflows of at least US$5m) that will have the largest impact in terms of ADV to trade are <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hankyu-hanshin-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13058:1" rel="noopener">Hankyu Hanshin Holdings (9042 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kintetsu-group-holdings-co-l" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18507:1" rel="noopener">Kintetsu Group Holdings Co L (9041 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hisamitsu-pharmaceutical-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17008:1" rel="noopener">Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co (4530 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bank-of-kyoto-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5248:1" rel="noopener">Bank Of Kyoto (8369 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hakuhodo-dy-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8736:1" rel="noopener">Hakuhodo Dy Holdings (2433 JP)</a>.

At its Monetary Policy Meeting that concluded on 19 March, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) announced that they would purchase ETFs and J-REIT as necessary with upper limits of about 12 trillion yen and about 180 billion yen respectively. While the upper limits were originally set as a temporary measure in response to the impact of COVID-19, the Bank will maintain them even after COVID-19 subsides.The big change was the announcement that the BOJ would only purchase ETFs tracking the Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix (TPX INDEX). This means no more flows to the Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX) and JPX Nikkei 400 ETFs.From the increase in ETF AUM over calendar year 2020, we estimate that around 88% of the BOJ buying went into Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix (TPX INDEX) ETFs, with smaller amounts going into the Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX) and JPX Nikkei 400 ETFs.While the impact of BOJ only buying Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix (TPX INDEX) linked ETFs is not material for single stocks in ADV terms, there could be a bigger impact on the Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX) constituents if other NKY ETF holders redeem their units and sell the underlying shares.The NT ratio (NKY/TPX) had started to move lower over the last 15 trading days due to the shift from growth to value stocks. The BOJ announcement could take the ratio lower in the short term on a change in sentiment and short term flows due to repositioning of portfolios.Nissan Chemical Industries (4021 JP), Comsys Holdings (1721 JP), Konami Holdings (9766 JP), Kikkoman Corp (2801 JP) and Fast Retailing (9983 JP) will be among the most negatively affected stocks, but the impact is quite small.Tokyo Stock Exchange Tokyo Price Index Topix (TPX INDEX) stocks (that will have passive BOJ inflows of at least US$5m) that will have the largest impact in terms of ADV to trade are Hankyu Hanshin Holdings (9042 JP), Kintetsu Group Holdings Co L (9041 JP), Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co (4530 JP), Bank Of Kyoto (8369 JP) and Hakuhodo Dy Holdings (2433 JP). 

BOJ Buying to Focus on TOPIX ETFs: Big Headline, Smaller Impact

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

While a more cautious outlook is appropriate, as long as $77 holds (the September lows) we are constructive and would be buyers on a pullback. A move below $77 would start to get very concerning, and would leave $75 and the 200-day MA as last-ditch support. Considering the recent pullback we want to be sticking with areas that have continued to outperform in spite of recent broad market weakness. For that we look to the following leadership Sectors: Technology, Consumer Discretionary, Manufacturing, Materials, and Transportation

While a more cautious outlook is appropriate, as long as $77 holds (the September lows) we are constructive and would be buyers on a pullback. A move below $77 would start to get very concerning, and would leave $75 and the 200-day MA as last-ditch support. Considering the recent pullback we want to be sticking with areas that have continued to outperform in spite of recent broad market weakness. For that we look to the following leadership Sectors: Technology, Consumer Discretionary, Manufacturing, Materials, and Transportation

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

There are many reasons why active investors in Japan should be interested in understanding the ownership and shareholder dynamics of passive investors in Japan.Some of the places active investors will see this are:<ul>
<li>Stories intermittently published about the BOJ's presence in Japanese ETFs (especially the fact that it owns 80+% of the outstanding ETF market),</li>
<li>Relatively constant interest in Nikkei 225 rebalances like the one we saw in July 2020, which helped push up <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-exchange-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11266:1" rel="noopener">Japan Exchange Group (8697 JP)</a> by 30+% from May to July, then helped it slide 13% in a week,</li>
<li>The mooted return of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/toshiba-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:637:1" rel="noopener">Toshiba Corp (6502 JP)</a> to the TSE First Section, </li>
<li>The relatively recent policy of increased stewardship regarding the passive management portion of the GPIF (the Government Pension Investment Fund) - an investing heavyweight in Japan,</li>
<li>The changes to the TSE's market structure, which appear to be coming sooner than people think,</li>
<li>The changes to the TSE's First Section inclusion rules, which will change the nature of TOPIX inclusion trades - a milestone which is approaching VERY quickly.</li>
</ul>When I do analysis of index events or shareholder pressure or ownership on a standalone basis, I fairly regularly get skeptical comments and questions "How do you estimate those numbers?? Those numbers look big to me!"<div>As I said in 2018 in the first version of this piece, my reply is that the data is out there if you are diligent enough to look.</div><div>And when you do, it tells you a fair bit about the nature of what else is out there.</div>

There are many reasons why active investors in Japan should be interested in understanding the ownership and shareholder dynamics of passive investors in Japan.Some of the places active investors will see this are:
Stories intermittently published about the BOJ's presence in Japanese ETFs (especially the fact that it owns 80+% of the outstanding ETF market),
Relatively constant interest in Nikkei 225 rebalances like the one we saw in July 2020, which helped push up Japan Exchange Group (8697 JP) by 30+% from May to July, then helped it slide 13% in a week,
The mooted return of Toshiba Corp (6502 JP) to the TSE First Section, 
The relatively recent policy of increased stewardship regarding the passive management portion of the GPIF (the Government Pension Investment Fund) - an investing heavyweight in Japan,
The changes to the TSE's market structure, which appear to be coming sooner than people think,
The changes to the TSE's First Section inclusion rules, which will change the nature of TOPIX inclusion trades - a milestone which is approaching VERY quickly.
When I do analysis of index events or shareholder pressure or ownership on a standalone basis, I fairly regularly get skeptical comments and questions "How do you estimate those numbers?? Those numbers look big to me!"As I said in 2018 in the first version of this piece, my reply is that the data is out there if you are diligent enough to look.And when you do, it tells you a fair bit about the nature of what else is out there.

For now we view the recent pullback as a countertrend move that helped correct the extended and overbought conditions we noted over the past two weeks. Overhead resistance on the MSCI EM, EAFE, and ACWI ex-US indexes (all priced in local currency) is something to be aware of, however if the ACWI-US is above $70 our bullish outlook remains appropriate.  In today's report we highlight attractive charts in both defensive and cyclical Sectors. On the semi-defensive side, Sectors covered include Health Care and Services. On the cyclical side, Sectors covered include Energy, Financials, Materials, and Transportation

For now we view the recent pullback as a countertrend move that helped correct the extended and overbought conditions we noted over the past two weeks. Overhead resistance on the MSCI EM, EAFE, and ACWI ex-US indexes (all priced in local currency) is something to be aware of, however if the ACWI-US is above $70 our bullish outlook remains appropriate.  In today's report we highlight attractive charts in both defensive and cyclical Sectors. On the semi-defensive side, Sectors covered include Health Care and Services. On the cyclical side, Sectors covered include Energy, Financials, Materials, and Transportation

Global Equity Strategy: Short-Term Bullish Trends Clash With Longer-Term Resistance

Quantitative Analysis

In the past 4 weeks we have seen substantial disruption in global markets. Total equity market cap across the world is down tens of trillions of dollars, credit spreads exploded, 'risk-free' rate curves steepened dramatically, investment funds blew up, the very structure of money markets was briefly in question. Central banks around the world have acted in coordinated fashion to stem the tide of panic. The US Fed has stepped in with QE Forever, providing trillions of dollars of balance sheet and funding to stabilise systemic risk, and governments have announced trillions of dollars of stimulus packages to try to cushion economies from short-term restrictive social policies meant to stem the slow the spread of COVID-19 and lessen long-term economic damage from loss of life and work.Amidst this, the Nikkei 225/TOPIX ratio has gone through something of a rough patch. <figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/125/379/original/Screenshot%202020-03-29%20at%206.18.38%20PM.png?1585477145" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="125379"></figure>There is (obviously) a forest-for-the-trees argument to be made here. I'll stipulate that. But investors are expected to do their job come inclement weather, global pestilence, pandemic, or war - that is their job as stewards. Right now, an enormous part of that is second-guessing what other investors will do. This insight is a walk through the conditions which enabled and perhaps prompted the wild swings in some of the major constituents in Nikkei 225 and what caused the major swings in Nikkei vs. TOPIX.

In the past 4 weeks we have seen substantial disruption in global markets. Total equity market cap across the world is down tens of trillions of dollars, credit spreads exploded, 'risk-free' rate curves steepened dramatically, investment funds blew up, the very structure of money markets was briefly in question. Central banks around the world have acted in coordinated fashion to stem the tide of panic. The US Fed has stepped in with QE Forever, providing trillions of dollars of balance sheet and funding to stabilise systemic risk, and governments have announced trillions of dollars of stimulus packages to try to cushion economies from short-term restrictive social policies meant to stem the slow the spread of COVID-19 and lessen long-term economic damage from loss of life and work.Amidst this, the Nikkei 225/TOPIX ratio has gone through something of a rough patch. There is (obviously) a forest-for-the-trees argument to be made here. I'll stipulate that. But investors are expected to do their job come inclement weather, global pestilence, pandemic, or war - that is their job as stewards. Right now, an enormous part of that is second-guessing what other investors will do. This insight is a walk through the conditions which enabled and perhaps prompted the wild swings in some of the major constituents in Nikkei 225 and what caused the major swings in Nikkei vs. TOPIX. 

Breaking Down Wild Nikkei 225 Component Moves

Japan

MITSUBISHI GAS CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC. produces chemical products such as xylene and methanol.  The Company also manufactures engineering plastics and specialty chemicals.

NOF CORPORATION is a diversified chemical producer whose products include processed oil/fats, explosives and other chemical products. The Company has manufacturing/sales subsidiaries in US, Indonesia and China.

Resonac Holdings Corporation manufactures and distributes chemical products. The Company produces synthetic resins, petrochemical products, inorganics, and other related products. Resonac Holdings also produces ceramics, metals, carbon, electronic materials, and other products.

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. manufactures and markets a variety of chemical products. The Company's products include ethylene, propylene and other petrochemicals, basic chemicals, synthetic resins, and fine chemicals.  The Company operates worldwide.

TOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO., LTD. manufactures photoresist for semiconductors.  The Company also manufactures printing materials and semiconductor-assembling machines.

TOSOH CORPORATION produces petrochemical and other chemical products.  The Company's primary products include ethylene, polyethylene, caustic soda, vinyl chloride, fine chemicals, and fertilizers.

KURARAY CO., LTD. manufactures synthetic and chemical fibers.  The Company provides special resin, man-made leather, fine chemicals, and non-woven fabrics used as apparel and industrial materials.  Kuraray also produces pharmaceutical and medical products such as dialyzers and dental-care products.  The Company focuses on environmentally beneficial products.

KANSAI PAINT CO., LTD. manufactures and sells a wide range of paints and the related products.  The Company's products are used for automobiles, construction, and ships.

JSR Corporation manufactures synthetic rubber and synthetic resins.  The Company's rubber products are used mainly for auto tires.  JSR Corporation also manufactures LCD-related materials and photo-resists.

AIR WATER INC. produces industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and acetylene.  The Company also sells fuels and processed foods.

Orica Limited is a diversified manufacturing company.  The Company produces industrial and specialty chemicals, polyethylene, surface coatings for vehicles, food and beverage flavoring and fragrances, packaging and appliances. The Company also supplies explosive and blasting services to the mining, quarrying and construction industries.

Incitec Pivot Limited is a fertilizer manufacturer and supplier, and also a supplier for explosives products and services. The Company has operations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia.

Zhejiang Longsheng Group Co., Ltd. manufactures a variety of dyes including high intensity and rapid-dying Lonsperse Dye. The Company sells its products domestically and exports worldwide.

Zhejiang Longsheng Group Co., (600352 CH)

Quaker Chemical Corporation produces, develops, and markets custom-formulated chemical specialty products.  The Company also provides fluid management services for manufacturers around the world, primarily in the steel, automotive, and can industries.

Huntsman Corporation manufactures differentiated and commodity chemical products.  The Company markets a broad range of chemical products and formulations to a diversified group of consumer and industrial customers. Huntsman's products are used in a range of applications, including those in adhesives, aerospace, automotive, construction products, and consumer products.

Zhejiang Huafeng Spandex Co., Ltd. manufactures and markets spandex products.

Hengyi Petrochemical Co., Ltd. manufactures polyester and other petrochemical products.

Zhejiang Weixing New Building Materials Co.,Ltd. develops, manufactures and sells plastic pipes.  The Company's products include poly propylene random (PPR) pipe, polyethylene (PE) pipe, high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, and polybutene (PB) pipe.

Zhejiang Weixing New Bldg Mtls (002372 CH)

SKC Co., Ltd. manufactures a variety of films, including polyester films, silicon coated films, and inkjet films.  The Company also produces chemical products, such as propylene oxide, propylene glycol, and styrene monomer. In addition, SKC provides materials for photovoltaic.

Balchem Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets specialty performance ingredients for the food, feed, and medical sterilization industries. The Company micro-encapsulates performance ingredients, and also repackages and markets specialty gases. Balchem sells its products through its own sales force, independent distributors, and sales agents.

Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd. produces a variety of chemical products, ranging from basic chemicals to functional chemical products.  The Company also manufactures agrochemicals and pharmaceutical products.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

Nissan Chemical Industries (4021 JP)

BOJ Buying to Focus on TOPIX ETFs: Big Headline, Smaller Impact

The BOJ will only buy ETFs linked to the TOPIX going forward. While this makes for a big headline, the impact on the stocks is much more muted....

Brian Freitas

Cautiously Optimistic on Global Equities

We are constructive on global equities and would be buyers on a pullback. A move below $77 would start to get very concerning, and would leave $75...

Vermilion Research

JAPAN PASSIVE: Who Owns What 2020?

There are many reasons why active investors in Japan should be interested in understanding the ownership and shareholder dynamics of passive...

Travis Lundy

Global Equity Strategy: Short-Term Bullish Trends Clash With Longer-Term Resistance

For now we view the recent pullback as a countertrend move that helped correct the extended and overbought conditions we noted over the past two...

Vermilion Research

Breaking Down Wild Nikkei 225 Component Moves

In the past 4 weeks we have seen substantial disruption in global markets. Total equity market cap across the world is down tens of trillions of...

Travis Lundy

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)