Telco/Internet specialist

Kirk Boodry

Redex Research

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Japan trails global peers in the proportion of payments that are cashless but it is starting to close the gap led by Internet and telecom companies</li>
<li>Rakuten is a fintech leader in Japan (15% of cashless payments) but PayPay is closing the gap as it ramps up cashless app users</li>
<li>We expect compound annual growth in the mid-teens but margin expansion will be limited by competitive intensity</li>
</ul>


Japan trails global peers in the proportion of payments that are cashless but it is starting to close the gap led by Internet and telecom companies
Rakuten is a fintech leader in Japan (15% of cashless payments) but PayPay is closing the gap as it ramps up cashless app users
We expect compound annual growth in the mid-teens but margin expansion will be limited by competitive intensity


Japan Fintech - Cashless Payments Competition Is Heating Up

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Mitsui&amp;Co has been in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/relia-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16219:1" rel="noopener">Relia Inc (4708 JP)</a> for a long time. As part of investing in BPO/RPA/AI services, they are buying out Relia, merging it with a KDDI sub.</li>
<li>They are buying it at an all-time high, and a 50% premium. Looks nice. But it's not nice enough.</li>
<li>This is one of those times when I can reiterate, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-needs-more-cowbell" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:41191" rel="noopener">Japan Needs More Cowbell</a>. </li>
</ul>


Mitsui&amp;Co has been in Relia Inc (4708 JP) for a long time. As part of investing in BPO/RPA/AI services, they are buying out Relia, merging it with a KDDI sub.
They are buying it at an all-time high, and a 50% premium. Looks nice. But it's not nice enough.
This is one of those times when I can reiterate, Japan Needs More Cowbell. 


Mitsui & Co To Buy Out Relia (4708) - Moshi Moshi Is TOO CHEAP

Equity Bottom-Up

NTT (Nippon Telegraph & Telephone) / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>We have tweaked our numbers after Q2 results and catching up with the company.  In particular, we come away with more confidence in wireless / fintech growth</li>
<li>NTT looks cheap at 11x FY22e EPS v 12x for KDDI even as relative growth is expected to be better with ~9% EPS growth</li>
<li>Shares have outperformed TOPIX (+18% YTD v -3%) and this should continue in 2023 as solid financial performance and an attractive shareholder returns story provide support</li>
</ul>


We have tweaked our numbers after Q2 results and catching up with the company.  In particular, we come away with more confidence in wireless / fintech growth
NTT looks cheap at 11x FY22e EPS v 12x for KDDI even as relative growth is expected to be better with ~9% EPS growth
Shares have outperformed TOPIX (+18% YTD v -3%) and this should continue in 2023 as solid financial performance and an attractive shareholder returns story provide support


2023 High Conviction: NTT (Buy) - Surging DoCoMo Underappreciated as Markets Step Back from Value

<ul>
<li>Rakuten's successful junk bond sale means the Rakuten Bank IPO will happen next year and not in December as some had feared</li>
<li>More detail on mobile shows that network costs including D&amp;A are 4x that of service revenue and slightly higher QoQ. Roaming alone is higher than service revenue </li>
<li>And that means Rakuten can't aggressively go after new subscribers unless it wants operating losses to accelerate. Bad for Rakuten but good news for incumbents KDDI, NTT and Softbank. </li>
</ul>


Rakuten's successful junk bond sale means the Rakuten Bank IPO will happen next year and not in December as some had feared
More detail on mobile shows that network costs including D&amp;A are 4x that of service revenue and slightly higher QoQ. Roaming alone is higher than service revenue 
And that means Rakuten can't aggressively go after new subscribers unless it wants operating losses to accelerate. Bad for Rakuten but good news for incumbents KDDI, NTT and Softbank. 


Rakuten (Neutral) - Follow up After Results: Mobile Issues Far from Over

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nippon-telegraph-telephone-corporation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:623:1" rel="noopener">NTT (Nippon Telegraph &amp; Telephone) (9432 JP)</a> announced Q2 results today during market hours. The stock had been trading up 1.1% on the day, but fell 1% in 5 minutes.</li>
<li>It then spent the rest of the day grinding higher to end just higher than just before results. </li>
<li>NTT announced another buyback - this one on-market. It is only a little bit of a surprise.</li>
</ul>



NTT (Nippon Telegraph &amp; Telephone) (9432 JP) announced Q2 results today during market hours. The stock had been trading up 1.1% on the day, but fell 1% in 5 minutes.
It then spent the rest of the day grinding higher to end just higher than just before results. 
NTT announced another buyback - this one on-market. It is only a little bit of a surprise.


Japan

KDDI CORPORATION provides mobile communication services and sells mobile devices.  The Company also is a broadband provider.

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KDDI Corp (9433 JP)

Japan Fintech - Cashless Payments Competition Is Heating Up

Japan telecom and Internet companies are driving growth in cashless payments led by Rakuten in credit cards and PayPay in cashless apps. This is a...

Kirk Boodry

Mitsui & Co To Buy Out Relia (4708) - Moshi Moshi Is TOO CHEAP

Mitsui is buying out Relia (4708) formerly known as Moshi Moshi Hotline. It is an all-time high and big premium, but it is the wrong price. But...

Travis Lundy

2023 High Conviction: NTT (Buy) - Surging DoCoMo Underappreciated as Markets Step Back from Value

NTT shares have fallen 10% from recent highs but improving results for mobile and fintech and a second FY22 buyback program should reassure...

Kirk Boodry

Rakuten (Neutral) - Follow up After Results: Mobile Issues Far from Over

Elevated network costs hamper Rakuten's ability to go out and get new subscribers as it could drive operating losses higher. Meanwhile, the...

Kirk Boodry

NTT Q2 Results and a New Buyback

NTT reports Q2 results, mostly OK, a little softer than some expected. But they also announce a decent add-on buyback for the last 4+ months of the...

Travis Lundy

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