Japan Specialist

Mark Chadwick

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Inditex's rare quarterly miss on sales and profit, driven by currency fluctuations, may heighten sensitivity around Fast Retailing's upcoming Q1 results</li>
<li>For Fast, the risk would be a top-line miss given high valuation multiples and elevated expectations</li>
<li>Over the past several quarters, Fast's superior top line growth has supported higher valuation multiples. We expect 9% revenue growth in Q1</li>
</ul>


Inditex's rare quarterly miss on sales and profit, driven by currency fluctuations, may heighten sensitivity around Fast Retailing's upcoming Q1 results
For Fast, the risk would be a top-line miss given high valuation multiples and elevated expectations
Over the past several quarters, Fast's superior top line growth has supported higher valuation multiples. We expect 9% revenue growth in Q1


Fast Retailing (9983) | Inditex's Q3 Miss - Implications for Uniqlo

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

Index Rebalance

<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 Index</a> March rebalance ends in January. There could be one outright change and one or two others driven by sector balance.</li>
<li>Depending on the changes, passive trackers will need to buy between 8.2-20.5x ADV (8.75%-24.5% of real float) and sell between 9-38x 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</a>'s PAF could see a double reduction to keep the stock weight capped at 10%. There will be huge passive selling leading to funding inflows for other index constituents.</li>
</ul>


The review period for the Nikkei 225 Index March rebalance ends in January. There could be one outright change and one or two others driven by sector balance.
Depending on the changes, passive trackers will need to buy between 8.2-20.5x ADV (8.75%-24.5% of real float) and sell between 9-38x ADV on the deletions.

Fast Retailing's PAF could see a double reduction to keep the stock weight capped at 10%. There will be huge passive selling leading to funding inflows for other index constituents.


Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Preview (Mar 2025): Ranking, Capping, Funding & Other Changes

Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

Equity Derivatives

<ul>
<li>This strategy exploits relative value in implied volatilities and combines it with a long Nifty 50 vs. short Nikkei 225 directional view over a period of two months.</li>
<li>The strategy performs well if the Nifty 50 rises <em>and</em> outperforms the Nikkei 225. If both indices decline, neither profit nor loss is incurred.</li>
<li>Leverage increases both the strategy's payoff and probability of success.</li>
</ul>


This strategy exploits relative value in implied volatilities and combines it with a long Nifty 50 vs. short Nikkei 225 directional view over a period of two months.
The strategy performs well if the Nifty 50 rises and outperforms the Nikkei 225. If both indices decline, neither profit nor loss is incurred.
Leverage increases both the strategy's payoff and probability of success.


EQD | Long Nifty 50 Vs. Short Nikkei 225 - A Relative Value Option Strategy with a Kicker

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<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> today announced better than guided results, and 10% revenue growth, 18% OP growth to August 2024. NP is light, but still well higher than street consensus.</li>
<li>At 10.37% Nikkei 225 weight, it is still above the target for 31 July 2024. If it does not underperform Nikkei 225 between now and then, US$2bn to sell end-Sep24.</li>
<li>If people like the growthiness, that can be absorbed. But if the stock were to go up 10% vs Nikkei, there'd be US$2bn, then maybe another US$2bn to sell. </li>
</ul>



Fast Retailing (9983 JP) today announced better than guided results, and 10% revenue growth, 18% OP growth to August 2024. NP is light, but still well higher than street consensus.
At 10.37% Nikkei 225 weight, it is still above the target for 31 July 2024. If it does not underperform Nikkei 225 between now and then, US$2bn to sell end-Sep24.
If people like the growthiness, that can be absorbed. But if the stock were to go up 10% vs Nikkei, there'd be US$2bn, then maybe another US$2bn to sell. 


Fast Retailing (9983) Beats Guidance, Stronger Forecasts, STILL Has a Nikkei 225 Problem

<ul>
<li>Fast Retailing’s stock price is overvalued and faces downside risks from its Q3 results (maybe), China outlook (perhaps), and index rebalancing (most likely).</li>
<li>Fast Retailing has enjoyed a premium over its global peers largely due to its higher exposure to China growth. Any wobbles here could be negative catalyst</li>
<li>There is also a technical issue that will likely cap the weighting of Fast Retailing in the Nikkei 225 = index selling pressure</li>
</ul>


Fast Retailing’s stock price is overvalued and faces downside risks from its Q3 results (maybe), China outlook (perhaps), and index rebalancing (most likely).
Fast Retailing has enjoyed a premium over its global peers largely due to its higher exposure to China growth. Any wobbles here could be negative catalyst
There is also a technical issue that will likely cap the weighting of Fast Retailing in the Nikkei 225 = index selling pressure


Fast Retailing (9983) | Is China Still Recovering?

Japan

FAST RETAILING CO., LTD. operates a chain of clothing stores, UNIQLO, throughout Japan and in other markets overseas including UK, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, US, France, Singapore and Russia.  The Company designs, manufactures, and retails its own line of casual clothing.

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Fast Retailing (9983 JP)

Fast Retailing (9983) | Inditex's Q3 Miss - Implications for Uniqlo

Fast's strong growth in recent quarters has supported elevated valuation multiples, with an expected 9% revenue growth in Q1.

Mark Chadwick

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Preview (Mar 2025): Ranking, Capping, Funding & Other Changes

There should be 1 change, could be 3 due to sector balance. The impact on the potential changes varies from 8-38x ADV. Fast Retailing could see a...

Brian Freitas

EQD | Long Nifty 50 Vs. Short Nikkei 225 - A Relative Value Option Strategy with a Kicker

Option strategy: exploit relative value in implied volatilities combined with directional positioning for a leveraged payoff in a long Nifty 50 vs....

Gaudenz Schneider

Fast Retailing (9983) Beats Guidance, Stronger Forecasts, STILL Has a Nikkei 225 Problem

Fast Retailing beat its guidance and consensus forecasts, and guidance to Aug 2024 is ahead of consensus by a ways. But the stock still has a...

Travis Lundy

Fast Retailing (9983) | Is China Still Recovering?

Fast Retailing’s stock price is overvalued and faces downside risks from its Q3 results (maybe), China outlook (perhaps), and index rebalancing...

Mark Chadwick

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