Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<p>On Thursday 9 September, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sbi-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10928:1" rel="noopener">SBI Holdings (8473 JP)</a> announced a Tender Offer aimed at lifting its stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shinsei-bank-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16897:1" rel="noopener">Shinsei Bank (8303 JP)</a> to 48% at a sharp premium (up 46%). It hadn't warned Shinsei Bank of its intention to do so.</p><p>Kana Inagaki and Leo Lewis at the FT had a <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1a863d9d-b081-4a9e-99d7-dbcd828aab75" target="_blank" rel="noopener">story</a> early Thursday evening describing the situation - the most concise and accurate take I have seen. I followed up hours later with something wordier in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/sbi-8473-launches-a-hostile-tender-offer-on-shinsei-bank-8303" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:57426" rel="noopener">SBI (8473) Launches a HOSTILE Tender Offer on Shinsei Bank (8303)!</a> On Thursday night the ADRs rose to ¥1930/share equivalent. </p><p>On Friday, the stock went limit up, Smartkarma held a Flash Webinar, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/mio-kato" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:713" rel="noopener">Mio Kato</a> added <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/shinsei-bank-valuations" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:57474" rel="noopener">Shinsei Bank - Valuations</a> to the anthology. </p><p>Over the weekend, articles were everywhere in the media, but they didn't say much. Shinsei hadn't told them what to say and SBI had already done the talking for its part. </p><p>Trading resumed on Monday and the stock opened above the Tender Offer Price ¥2000/share before closing a bit lower. </p><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/229/720/original/Screenshot+2021-09-14+at+7.25.24+PM.png?1631618746" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="229720"></figure></section><hr><p>Yesterday saw articles suggesting Shinsei Bank would send SBI a list of questions to answer, would look at what they got back, and then would decide their opinion. </p><h3>But TODAY we see the real start of the game. </h3><p>The Nikkei <a href="https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUB146UA0U1A910C2000000/?unlock=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in a short article a few hours ago that Shinsei's board would meet this week to approve an "emergency" poison pill defence. </p><p>How that would work might matter, but it might not. </p><p>More below the fold.</p>

On Thursday 9 September, SBI Holdings (8473 JP) announced a Tender Offer aimed at lifting its stake in Shinsei Bank (8303 JP) to 48% at a sharp premium (up 46%). It hadn't warned Shinsei Bank of its intention to do so.Kana Inagaki and Leo Lewis at the FT had a story early Thursday evening describing the situation - the most concise and accurate take I have seen. I followed up hours later with something wordier in SBI (8473) Launches a HOSTILE Tender Offer on Shinsei Bank (8303)! On Thursday night the ADRs rose to ¥1930/share equivalent. On Friday, the stock went limit up, Smartkarma held a Flash Webinar, and Mio Kato added Shinsei Bank - Valuations to the anthology. Over the weekend, articles were everywhere in the media, but they didn't say much. Shinsei hadn't told them what to say and SBI had already done the talking for its part. Trading resumed on Monday and the stock opened above the Tender Offer Price ¥2000/share before closing a bit lower. Yesterday saw articles suggesting Shinsei Bank would send SBI a list of questions to answer, would look at what they got back, and then would decide their opinion. But TODAY we see the real start of the game. The Nikkei reported in a short article a few hours ago that Shinsei's board would meet this week to approve an "emergency" poison pill defence. How that would work might matter, but it might not. More below the fold.

Shinsei Looks To A Poison Pill, But Probably Not Really

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

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

<p>In May, the Nikkei released a market consultation on proposed changes 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> covering capping the weight of new constituents in the index at 1% by using a Price Adjustment Factor, limiting the number of index changes at a periodic review to 3, and changing the index universe from stocks listed on TSE's 1st section to stocks that are listed on the Prime Market (post the reorganisation). Most of the proposed changes were subsequently approved.</p><p>This is the first <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikkei-225" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22909:1" rel="noopener">Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX)</a> rebalance after the market consultation that tweaked things around. The tweaks could ensure the inclusion of stocks that were historically not included in the index due to their high stock price, though the impact will be much smaller since their weight in the index will not exceed 1%.</p><p>At the upcoming rebalance, we see a high probability of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nintendo-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5415:1" rel="noopener">Nintendo Co Ltd (7974 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zozo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18379:1" rel="noopener">ZOZO Inc (3092 JP)</a> being included in the index while there is a lower probability of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/oriental-land-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13517:1" rel="noopener">Oriental Land (4661 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/orix-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9936:1" rel="noopener">Orix Corp (8591 JP)</a> being included.</p><p>Potential deletion candidates are <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/toho-zinc-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2796:1" rel="noopener">Toho Zinc (5707 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sky-perfect-jsat-holdings" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14097:1" rel="noopener">Sky Perfect Jsat (9412 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/maruha-nichiro-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20640:1" rel="noopener">Maruha Nichiro (1333 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pacific-metals-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3439:1" rel="noopener">Pacific Metals (5541 JP)</a>.</p><p>There will be quite a large impact from passive trading on a few names.</p><p>The changes will be announced early September and will be implemented at the close of trading on 30 September.</p>

In May, the Nikkei released a market consultation on proposed changes to the Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX) covering capping the weight of new constituents in the index at 1% by using a Price Adjustment Factor, limiting the number of index changes at a periodic review to 3, and changing the index universe from stocks listed on TSE's 1st section to stocks that are listed on the Prime Market (post the reorganisation). Most of the proposed changes were subsequently approved.This is the first Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX) rebalance after the market consultation that tweaked things around. The tweaks could ensure the inclusion of stocks that were historically not included in the index due to their high stock price, though the impact will be much smaller since their weight in the index will not exceed 1%.At the upcoming rebalance, we see a high probability of Nintendo Co Ltd (7974 JP) and ZOZO Inc (3092 JP) being included in the index while there is a lower probability of Oriental Land (4661 JP) and Orix Corp (8591 JP) being included.Potential deletion candidates are Toho Zinc (5707 JP), Sky Perfect Jsat (9412 JP), Maruha Nichiro (1333 JP) and Pacific Metals (5541 JP).There will be quite a large impact from passive trading on a few names.The changes will be announced early September and will be implemented at the close of trading on 30 September.

Nikkei225 Index Rebalance Preview: Perennial Favourites Could Be In

Quantitative Analysis

<div><p>The Asia Short Interest weekly looks at moves in market wide short interest and highlights movements in stock specific short interest across Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan using the last available data published by the relevant authorities.</p></div><div><p>Hong Kong saw shorts rise on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/meituan-dianping" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26970:1" rel="noopener">Meituan (3690 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/beijing-kuaishou-technology-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29725:1" rel="noopener">Kuaishou Technology (1024 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ping-an-healthcare-and-technology-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27008:1" rel="noopener">Ping An Healthcare and Technology Company Limited (1833 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28434:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba Group (9988 HK)</a> while there was short covering on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ping-an-insurance-grp-co-of-china-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12880:1" rel="noopener">Ping An Insurance (H) (2318 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zhongsheng-group-holdings" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10573:1" rel="noopener">Zhongsheng Group (881 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aac-technologies-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6544:1" rel="noopener">AAC Technologies Holdings (2018 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent Holdings (700 HK)</a>. Shorts increased in the Consumer Discretionary, Health Care, Materials and Real Estate sectors, and decreased in the Information Technology, Financials and Consumer Staples sectors.</p></div><div><p>In Japan, stocks that saw the most shorts were <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/toshiba-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:637:1" rel="noopener">Toshiba Corp (6502 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/asahi-kasei-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19771:1" rel="noopener">Asahi Kasei (3407 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/olympus-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:356:1" rel="noopener">Olympus Corp (7733 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/monex-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14211:1" rel="noopener">Monex Group Inc (8698 JP)</a> while shorts decreased on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/orix-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9936:1" rel="noopener">Orix Corp (8591 JP)</a>, <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>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shimano-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3777:1" rel="noopener">Shimano Inc (7309 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-tobacco-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13498:1" rel="noopener">Japan Tobacco (2914 JP)</a>. Shorts increased in the Industrials, Materials and Health Care sectors, and decreased in the Communication Services, Financials and Consumer Staples sectors.</p></div><div><p>In Korea, shorts increased on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-electronics-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:191:1" rel="noopener">Samsung Electronics (005930 KS)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/celltrion-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:991:1" rel="noopener">Celltrion Inc (068270 KS)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hyundai-motor-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:155:1" rel="noopener">Hyundai Motor Co (005380 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sk-hynix-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16955:1" rel="noopener">SK Hynix (000660 KS)</a> during the week. This was the first week where short increased substantially in Korea and comes a week ahead of the end of the short sell ban.</p></div><div><p>Stocks in Taiwan that saw the highest increase in shorts were <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-steel-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:962:1" rel="noopener">China Steel (2002 TT)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-airlines-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4591:1" rel="noopener">China Airlines (2610 TT)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/united-microelectronics-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6450:1" rel="noopener">United Microelectronics Corp (2303 TT)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/taiwan-cement" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19736:1" rel="noopener">Taiwan Cement (1101 TT)</a> while shorts were covered on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/innolux-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4509:1" rel="noopener">Innolux Corp (3481 TT)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/genius-electronic-optical-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9632:1" rel="noopener">Genius Electronic Optical (3406 TT)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/delta-electronics-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12688:1" rel="noopener">Delta Electronics (2308 TT)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pegatron-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12852:1" rel="noopener">Pegatron Corp (4938 TT)</a>.</p></div>

The Asia Short Interest weekly looks at moves in market wide short interest and highlights movements in stock specific short interest across Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan using the last available data published by the relevant authorities.Hong Kong saw shorts rise on Meituan (3690 HK), Kuaishou Technology (1024 HK), Ping An Healthcare and Technology Company Limited (1833 HK) and Alibaba Group (9988 HK) while there was short covering on Ping An Insurance (H) (2318 HK), Zhongsheng Group (881 HK), AAC Technologies Holdings (2018 HK) and Tencent Holdings (700 HK). Shorts increased in the Consumer Discretionary, Health Care, Materials and Real Estate sectors, and decreased in the Information Technology, Financials and Consumer Staples sectors.In Japan, stocks that saw the most shorts were Toshiba Corp (6502 JP), Asahi Kasei (3407 JP), Olympus Corp (7733 JP) and Monex Group Inc (8698 JP) while shorts decreased on Orix Corp (8591 JP), NTT (Nippon Telegraph &amp; Telephone) (9432 JP), Shimano Inc (7309 JP) and Japan Tobacco (2914 JP). Shorts increased in the Industrials, Materials and Health Care sectors, and decreased in the Communication Services, Financials and Consumer Staples sectors.In Korea, shorts increased on Samsung Electronics (005930 KS), Celltrion Inc (068270 KS), Hyundai Motor Co (005380 KS) and SK Hynix (000660 KS) during the week. This was the first week where short increased substantially in Korea and comes a week ahead of the end of the short sell ban.Stocks in Taiwan that saw the highest increase in shorts were China Steel (2002 TT), China Airlines (2610 TT), United Microelectronics Corp (2303 TT) and Taiwan Cement (1101 TT) while shorts were covered on Innolux Corp (3481 TT), Genius Electronic Optical (3406 TT), Delta Electronics (2308 TT) and Pegatron Corp (4938 TT).

Asia Shorts: Meituan, Kuaishou, Zhongsheng, Toshiba, Monex, Orix, Samsung, HMC, China Steel, Innolux

<div><p>The Asia Short Interest weekly looks at moves in market wide short interest and highlights movements in stock specific short interest across Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan using the last available data published by the relevant authorities.</p></div><div><p>Hong Kong saw shorts rise on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/meituan-dianping" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26970:1" rel="noopener">Meituan (3690 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/wuxi-apptec" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23679:1" rel="noopener">Wuxi Biologics (2269 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/haidilao-international-holding-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27044:1" rel="noopener">Haidilao (6862 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/yihai-int-l-holding-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22803:1" rel="noopener">Yihai Int’L Holding (1579 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sunny-optical-tech" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13363:1" rel="noopener">Sunny Optical (2382 HK)</a> while there was short covering on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent Holdings (700 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ping-an-insurance-grp-co-of-china-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12880:1" rel="noopener">Ping An Insurance (H) (2318 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/country-garden-services-holdings-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27343:1" rel="noopener">Country Garden Services Holdings (6098 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/baidu-inc-a55ca720-5968-48f0-8194-ac94390d065c" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32212:1" rel="noopener">Baidu (9888 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zhongsheng-group-holdings" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10573:1" rel="noopener">Zhongsheng Group (881 HK)</a>. Shorts increased in the Consumer Discretionary, Health Care and Information Technology sectors, and decreased in the Communication Services and Financials sectors.</p></div><div><p>In Japan, stocks that saw the most shorts were <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nexon-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16032:1" rel="noopener">Nexon (3659 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/orix-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9936:1" rel="noopener">Orix Corp (8591 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/toshiba-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:637:1" rel="noopener">Toshiba Corp (6502 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hitachi-metals-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8561:1" rel="noopener">Hitachi Metals (5486 JP)</a> while shorts decreased on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shiseido-company-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5718:1" rel="noopener">Shiseido Company (4911 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tokai-carbon-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9145:1" rel="noopener">Tokai Carbon (5301 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/yaskawa-electric-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2458:1" rel="noopener">Yaskawa Electric (6506 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/canon-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1:1" rel="noopener">Canon Inc (7751 JP)</a>. Shorts increased in the Financials and Communication Services sectors, and decreased in the Information Technology and Consumer Staples sectors.</p></div><div><p>In Korea, shorts decreased on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-biologics-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22932:1" rel="noopener">Samsung Biologics Co., (207940 KS)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-electronics-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:191:1" rel="noopener">Samsung Electronics (005930 KS)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/celltrion-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:991:1" rel="noopener">Celltrion Inc (068270 KS)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-sdi-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:503:1" rel="noopener">Samsung SDI (006400 KS)</a> during the week.</p></div><div><p>Stocks in Taiwan that saw the highest increase in shorts were <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/yageo-corporation" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13212:1" rel="noopener">Yageo Corporation (2327 TT)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/novatek-microelectronics-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10904:1" rel="noopener">Novatek Microelectronics Corp (3034 TT)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/evergreen-marine-corp-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15428:1" rel="noopener">Evergreen Marine Corp (2603 TT)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/taiwan-semiconductor-manufacturing-company" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11230:1" rel="noopener">TSMC (2330 TT)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fitipower-integrated-tech" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8712:1" rel="noopener">Fitipower Integrated Tech (4961 TT)</a> while shorts were covered on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/genius-electronic-optical-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9632:1" rel="noopener">Genius Electronic Optical (3406 TT)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hannstar-display-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13922:1" rel="noopener">Hannstar Display (6116 TT)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/taiwan-cement" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19736:1" rel="noopener">Taiwan Cement (1101 TT)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/focaltech-systems-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11240:1" rel="noopener">Focaltech Systems (3545 TT)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/winbond-electronics-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9177:1" rel="noopener">Winbond Electronics (2344 TT)</a>. </p></div>

The Asia Short Interest weekly looks at moves in market wide short interest and highlights movements in stock specific short interest across Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan using the last available data published by the relevant authorities.Hong Kong saw shorts rise on Meituan (3690 HK), Wuxi Biologics (2269 HK), Haidilao (6862 HK), Yihai Int’L Holding (1579 HK) and Sunny Optical (2382 HK) while there was short covering on Tencent Holdings (700 HK), Ping An Insurance (H) (2318 HK), Country Garden Services Holdings (6098 HK), Baidu (9888 HK) and Zhongsheng Group (881 HK). Shorts increased in the Consumer Discretionary, Health Care and Information Technology sectors, and decreased in the Communication Services and Financials sectors.In Japan, stocks that saw the most shorts were Nexon (3659 JP), Orix Corp (8591 JP), Toshiba Corp (6502 JP) and Hitachi Metals (5486 JP) while shorts decreased on Shiseido Company (4911 JP), Tokai Carbon (5301 JP), Yaskawa Electric (6506 JP) and Canon Inc (7751 JP). Shorts increased in the Financials and Communication Services sectors, and decreased in the Information Technology and Consumer Staples sectors.In Korea, shorts decreased on Samsung Biologics Co., (207940 KS), Samsung Electronics (005930 KS), Celltrion Inc (068270 KS) and Samsung SDI (006400 KS) during the week.Stocks in Taiwan that saw the highest increase in shorts were Yageo Corporation (2327 TT), Novatek Microelectronics Corp (3034 TT), Evergreen Marine Corp (2603 TT), TSMC (2330 TT) and Fitipower Integrated Tech (4961 TT) while shorts were covered on Genius Electronic Optical (3406 TT), Hannstar Display (6116 TT), Taiwan Cement (1101 TT), Focaltech Systems (3545 TT) and Winbond Electronics (2344 TT). 

Asia Short Interest: Meituan, WuxiBio, Tencent, Nexon, Orix, Toshiba, Shiseido, Samsung, Hannstar

<p>On Thursday, the Nikkei came out with an <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/BOJ-to-widen-interest-rate-target-range-to-support-bank-profits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> during the lunch break of equities trading. The headline said <em>"BOJ to widen interest rate target range to support bank profits" </em>and indeed in the article it noted that the BOJ would allow the long end of the curve to fluctuate more widely, creating a slightly steeper curve. This could lead to slightly better bank profits less because of the extra 5bp on the curve but more because of the expectation of forcing borrowers to pay more on an absolute basis. </p><p>What was MORE important for equity markets was the idea that the BOJ <em>"would also abolish its target for purchasing exchange-traded funds, now 6 trillion yen ($55 billion) per year, and instead vow to make such purchases only in times of market turmoil."</em></p><p>The article also suggested that the "Target" would be removed for the ¥90bn of J-REITs they buy as a base case (doubled now to ¥180bn as the ¥6trln was doubled to ¥12trln in the depths of the covid crash of March 2020). </p><p>This move caused Nikkei to underperform TOPIX on the day. TOPIX actually ended up on the day, and ended above where the market closed the AM session before the article came out. Nikkei fell, and started underperforming TOPIX from that point on. </p><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/195/872/original/Screenshot+2021-03-21+at+3.26.17+PM.png?1616311594" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="195872"></figure><p></p></section><p>Nikkei underperformed TOPIX in the AM session on Friday, and when the BOJ announcements came mid-day on Friday, there were additional subtleties involved. </p><p>The details are <a href="https://www.boj.or.jp/en/announcements/release_2021/rel210319c.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. The presentation with the basic details is <a href="https://www.boj.or.jp/en/announcements/release_2021/k210319b.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p><ul>
<li>The target rates for ETF and REIT buying will be abolished, but the current "Target Rate" of annual buying will become annual maxima (¥12 trillion for ETFs, ¥180bn for J-REITs, with ongoing maximum ownership limits on ETFs in place).</li>
<li>Buying of ETFs and J-REITs will be conducted "as necessary" "in times of market turbulence" and such buying will be done only on TOPIX ETFs.</li>
<li>The "Special Rules for Purchases of ETFs to Support Firms Proactively Investing in Physical and Human Capital" will continue as before with only specific ETFs permitted in this group. The amount of ~¥300bn/year and ¥1.2bn per business day will continue.</li>
</ul><p>It based the new policy on the Reference <a href="https://www.boj.or.jp/en/announcements/release_2021/k210319c.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a> which backs up the changes in policy is <em>much</em> more interesting reading.  Appendix 5 and Chart 12 are the parts you want to read.</p><p>The hypotheses and results are described here.</p><section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/195/869/original/Screenshot+2021-03-21+at+3.02.28+PM.png?1616310186" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="195869"></figure></section><p>There are a couple of other side conclusions but the base understanding is...</p><div class="content-highlight"><p>When the BOJ steps into the market in size, in times of market turbulence, and when stocks are trading below their medium-term average, it has a greater effect per dollar spent on market-wide risk premia as measured in option premia than buying in normal times, and size matters when looking at the risk premia change on single stocks.  </p></div><h3>What This Means</h3><ul>
<li>When the BOJ steps into the market in size, in times of market turbulence, and when stocks are trading below their medium-term average, it has a greater effect per dollar spent on market-wide risk premia as measured in option premia than buying in normal times, and size matters when looking at the risk premia change on single stocks.  </li>
<li>Expect the BOJ to follow the concept of its study (Appendix 5 again).</li>
<li>Expect the BOJ to pay greater attention to futures activity. </li>
</ul><h3>What This Does NOT Mean</h3><ul><li>It does NOT mean the BOJ will be selling any ETFs.</li></ul><hr><p>It is worthwhile taking a look at WHY the market reacted the way it did on Thursday and Friday afternoon, and it is worthwhile looking at what the BOJ ETF buying might look like going forward. </p><p>So we do so below the fold.</p><p>Note: This is part 1 of the analysis of potential future BOJ ETF Buying. Part II looks at the difference in single stock makeup. </p>

On Thursday, the Nikkei came out with an article during the lunch break of equities trading. The headline said "BOJ to widen interest rate target range to support bank profits" and indeed in the article it noted that the BOJ would allow the long end of the curve to fluctuate more widely, creating a slightly steeper curve. This could lead to slightly better bank profits less because of the extra 5bp on the curve but more because of the expectation of forcing borrowers to pay more on an absolute basis. What was MORE important for equity markets was the idea that the BOJ "would also abolish its target for purchasing exchange-traded funds, now 6 trillion yen ($55 billion) per year, and instead vow to make such purchases only in times of market turmoil."The article also suggested that the "Target" would be removed for the ¥90bn of J-REITs they buy as a base case (doubled now to ¥180bn as the ¥6trln was doubled to ¥12trln in the depths of the covid crash of March 2020). This move caused Nikkei to underperform TOPIX on the day. TOPIX actually ended up on the day, and ended above where the market closed the AM session before the article came out. Nikkei fell, and started underperforming TOPIX from that point on. Nikkei underperformed TOPIX in the AM session on Friday, and when the BOJ announcements came mid-day on Friday, there were additional subtleties involved. The details are here. The presentation with the basic details is here.
The target rates for ETF and REIT buying will be abolished, but the current "Target Rate" of annual buying will become annual maxima (¥12 trillion for ETFs, ¥180bn for J-REITs, with ongoing maximum ownership limits on ETFs in place).
Buying of ETFs and J-REITs will be conducted "as necessary" "in times of market turbulence" and such buying will be done only on TOPIX ETFs.
The "Special Rules for Purchases of ETFs to Support Firms Proactively Investing in Physical and Human Capital" will continue as before with only specific ETFs permitted in this group. The amount of ~¥300bn/year and ¥1.2bn per business day will continue.
It based the new policy on the Reference document which backs up the changes in policy is much more interesting reading.  Appendix 5 and Chart 12 are the parts you want to read.The hypotheses and results are described here.There are a couple of other side conclusions but the base understanding is...When the BOJ steps into the market in size, in times of market turbulence, and when stocks are trading below their medium-term average, it has a greater effect per dollar spent on market-wide risk premia as measured in option premia than buying in normal times, and size matters when looking at the risk premia change on single stocks.  What This Means
When the BOJ steps into the market in size, in times of market turbulence, and when stocks are trading below their medium-term average, it has a greater effect per dollar spent on market-wide risk premia as measured in option premia than buying in normal times, and size matters when looking at the risk premia change on single stocks.  
Expect the BOJ to follow the concept of its study (Appendix 5 again).
Expect the BOJ to pay greater attention to futures activity. 
What This Does NOT MeanIt does NOT mean the BOJ will be selling any ETFs.It is worthwhile taking a look at WHY the market reacted the way it did on Thursday and Friday afternoon, and it is worthwhile looking at what the BOJ ETF buying might look like going forward. So we do so below the fold.Note: This is part 1 of the analysis of potential future BOJ ETF Buying. Part II looks at the difference in single stock makeup. 

Quantifying the BOJ Change in ETF Policy: Assessing Future ETF Buying Methodology

Japan

ORIX Corporation provides comprehensive financial services throughout the world. The Company's business lines include leasing, real estate loans, life insurance, banking, and consumer finance.  The Company also operates Environment related business and Private equity investment business. ORIX has a professional baseball team, the ORIX Buffalos.

Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc. provides customer finance services. The Company leases machinery and equipment, aircraft and ships, office buildings, and more. Mitsubishi HC Capital serves clients across worldwide.

Tokyo Century Corporation provides businesses with lease financing for their equipment needs, such as information/communication equipment and machinery.

Fuyo General Lease Co Ltd leases machinery and equipment.  The Company also provides other financial services such as installment sale and lending.

Zenkoku Hosho Co. Ltd. is a credit guarantee company mainly for real estate or education loans. The company also provides insurance agency and credit check services.

Mizuho Leasing Company, Limited operates as a leasing company. The Company provides finance leasing, operating leasing, automobile leasing, real estate leasing, and other services.  Mizuho Leasing also offers payment outsourcing, installment sales, and other services.

Financial Products Group Co Ltd provides integrated financial services and Japanese Operating Lease (JOL) arrangements, which includes the structuring, sale and management of large transportation assets such as shipping vessels, marine containers and aircraft.

RICOH LEASING COMPANY, LTD. offers credit sales and leasing of office automation equipment such as copiers mainly manufactured by its parent, Ricoh.  The Company leases industrial machinery such as construction machinery, transportation equipment, and medical device.

Japan Securities Finance Co., Ltd. provides loans and security lending services for collateral.  The Company mainly offers its services to securities firms who are the member of the Tokyo, Sapporo, and Fukuoka Stock Exchanges. Japan Securities Finance also provides trust banking, real estate brokerage, information processing, transfer agent, and securities maintenance.

eGuarantee, Inc. offers guarantee services for accounts and note receivables arising from business and financial service transactions. The Company analyzes the credit risk of receivables and loans. eGuarantee also provides consulting services for credit risk and credit management.

Rural Electrification Corporation Limited engages in the financing and promotion of transmission, distribution and generation projects in India. The Company provides funding to clients to assist them in formulating and implementing various types of power project-related schemes.

Bajaj Finserv Ltd. is currently engaged in life insurance; general insurance and consumer finance businesses and has plans to expand its business by offering a wide array of financial products and services in India. The Company is also active in wind-energy generation.

Fubon Financial Holding Co., Ltd. is a financial holding company, formed through the merger of Fubon Insurance, Fubon Securities, Fubon Commercial Bank, and Fubon Life Assurance.

Power Finance Corporation funds power projects in India.  The Company serves state power utilities, central power sector utilities, power departments, private power sector utilities, joint sector power utilities, power equipment manufacturers, and municipal power utilities.

EXOR N.V. is a diversified holding company. The Company brings in finance for the development of its companies, to improve their competitive position and profitability, and maintains a constant dialogue with the top management of the companies in which it invests, while fully respecting their operating autonomy.

FirstRand Limited is a portfolio of separately branded, integrated financial services businesses offering a universal set of transactional, lending, investment and insurance products and services in South Africa, certain markets in sub-Saharan Africa and the UK.

Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited (IRFC) provides financial services. The Company raises money from the market through bonds and off-shores borrowings to finance the plan outlay of railways and other various developmental programs. IRFC serves customers in India. 

Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC IN)

Bajaj Holdings and Investment Ltd. is an investment company. The Company investments include strategic investments and investments in government securities, bonds, debentures and mutual funds.

Industrivarden AB is an investment company.  The Company's holdings consists of a portfolio of listed Nordic industrial companies.

L E Lundbergforetagen AB is a real estate and investment company.  The Company owns,  develops, rents out, and manages commercial and residential properties located in central Sweden.  Lundbergs is also a long term investor in mostly publicly traded Swedish companies.  The Company takes an active ownership role in the companies.  Moreover Lundbergs is engaged in securities trading.

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Orix Corp (8591 JP)

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