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. 

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Ain is best known for running prescription pharmacies but also has a lifestyle-oriented cosmetics chain called Ainz &amp; Tulpe.</li>
<li>Without this, the acquisition of FrancFranc would look odd, but the merger of the two will create genuine synergies and a lifestyle business targeting women in their 20s and 30s.</li>
<li>The move makes sense given the pressure on margins in drug dispensing, Ain's main business.</li>
</ul>


Ain is best known for running prescription pharmacies but also has a lifestyle-oriented cosmetics chain called Ainz &amp; Tulpe.
Without this, the acquisition of FrancFranc would look odd, but the merger of the two will create genuine synergies and a lifestyle business targeting women in their 20s and 30s.
The move makes sense given the pressure on margins in drug dispensing, Ain's main business.


Ain Shifts Focus with FrancFranc Acquisition

Japan Specialist

Mark Chadwick

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The Japanese stock market posted a modest gain of 1% for the week, with the Nikkei closing at 39,470 on Friday</li>
<li>Looking ahead, the market remains sensitive to external catalysts such as U.S. monetary policy decisions (FOMC on 17/18th), the BOJ (18/19th), and developments in China’s economic policies.</li>
<li>Topcon's stock skyrocketed 63% this week, fueled by speculation that the eyecare leader may go private.</li>
</ul>


The Japanese stock market posted a modest gain of 1% for the week, with the Nikkei closing at 39,470 on Friday
Looking ahead, the market remains sensitive to external catalysts such as U.S. monetary policy decisions (FOMC on 17/18th), the BOJ (18/19th), and developments in China’s economic policies.
Topcon's stock skyrocketed 63% this week, fueled by speculation that the eyecare leader may go private.


Japan Weekly | Nikkei Edges Up; Topcon, Rakuten, Oji, Bandai

<ul>
<li>Seven &amp; I released 1H24 earnings today as well as details on planned restructuring of its business. Results included some one-off items hitting operating profit as well as lower footfall.</li>
<li>The bigger news was the plan to hive off the non-CVS retail operations into a new company, York Holdings, leaving a newly named 7-Eleven Corporation running CVS globally.</li>
<li>Unusually, Seven also mentioned the possibility of new strategic partners investing in York, including even the "original founding families", suggesting one way of holding on to control.</li>
</ul>


Seven &amp; I released 1H24 earnings today as well as details on planned restructuring of its business. Results included some one-off items hitting operating profit as well as lower footfall.
The bigger news was the plan to hive off the non-CVS retail operations into a new company, York Holdings, leaving a newly named 7-Eleven Corporation running CVS globally.
Unusually, Seven also mentioned the possibility of new strategic partners investing in York, including even the "original founding families", suggesting one way of holding on to control.


7-Eleven Corporation: A Clear Strategy for Long-Term Value, Founding Family Return to Super-Stores

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

<ul>
<li>Hypermarket reshuffles as <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jd-com-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29043:1" rel="noopener">JD.com (9618 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dfi-retail-group-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7427:1" rel="noopener">DFI Retail (DFI SP)</a> exit <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/yonghui-superstores-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15910:1" rel="noopener">Yonghui Superstores (601933 CH)</a>; and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group-holding-ltd-d7b798e2-202d-4e01-9a1e-799e2ae8f0c7" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28434:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba Group  (9988 HK)</a> potentially exits <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sun-art-retail-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:401:1" rel="noopener">Sun Art Retail (6808 HK)</a>.</li>
<li>Evidently the influence of a younger hip third-generation tycoon-scion wasn't the panacea for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/new-world-development" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7037:1" rel="noopener">New World Development (17 HK)</a> and its ongoing issues in the HK/China property space.</li>
<li>MBK bumps the Tender Offer prices for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/korea-zinc-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17944:1" rel="noopener">Korea Zinc (010130 KS)</a> by 13.6% to ₩750,000 and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/young-poong-precision-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16188:1" rel="noopener">Young Poong Precision (036560 KS)</a> by 25% to ₩25,000. What with the Choi's do?</li>
</ul>


Hypermarket reshuffles as JD.com (9618 HK) and DFI Retail (DFI SP) exit Yonghui Superstores (601933 CH); and Alibaba Group  (9988 HK) potentially exits Sun Art Retail (6808 HK).
Evidently the influence of a younger hip third-generation tycoon-scion wasn't the panacea for New World Development (17 HK) and its ongoing issues in the HK/China property space.
MBK bumps the Tender Offer prices for Korea Zinc (010130 KS) by 13.6% to ₩750,000 and Young Poong Precision (036560 KS) by 25% to ₩25,000. What with the Choi's do?


Last Week in Event SPACE: DFI/JD.com/Yonghui, Alibaba/Sun Art, New World Development, Austal

<ul>
<li>I tally 39 - mostly firm, mostly Asia-Pac - transactions currently being discussed and analysed on Smartkarma. Inside is a timetable of upcoming key events for each deal.</li>
<li>Two new deals discussed on Smartkarma this week: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/xingda-international-holdings" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17836:1" rel="noopener">Xingda International (1899 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nsl-ltd-singapore" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12666:1" rel="noopener">NSL Ltd (NSL SP)</a>. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sun-art-retail-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:401:1" rel="noopener">Sun Art Retail (6808 HK)</a> also susppended due to the Takeovers Code.</li>
<li>Key updates took place on: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dyna-mac-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16153:1" rel="noopener">Dyna Mac Holdings (DMHL SP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/platinum-asset-management" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:914:1" rel="noopener">Platinum Asset Management (PTM AU)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fuji-soft-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17504:1" rel="noopener">Fuji Soft (9749 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jtower-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31042:1" rel="noopener">JTower (4485 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/arvida-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14485:1" rel="noopener">Arvida (ARV NZ)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/korea-zinc-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:17944:1" rel="noopener">Korea Zinc (010130 KS)</a>.</li>
</ul>


I tally 39 - mostly firm, mostly Asia-Pac - transactions currently being discussed and analysed on Smartkarma. Inside is a timetable of upcoming key events for each deal.
Two new deals discussed on Smartkarma this week: Xingda International (1899 HK) and NSL Ltd (NSL SP). Sun Art Retail (6808 HK) also susppended due to the Takeovers Code.
Key updates took place on: Dyna Mac Holdings (DMHL SP), Platinum Asset Management (PTM AU), Fuji Soft (9749 JP), JTower (4485 JP), Arvida (ARV NZ), and Korea Zinc (010130 KS).


(Mostly) Asia-Pac M&A: Dyna Mac, Platinum Asset, Fuji Soft, JTower, Arvida, Korea Zinc, Sun Art

Japan

AIN HOLDINGS INC. operates and franchises pharmacies in Japan.  The Company primarily sells medicines, external-use medicine, cosmetics, and food products. AIN Pharmaciez also conducts clinical tests for medical institutions.

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

Ain Holdings Inc (9627 JP)

Ain Shifts Focus with FrancFranc Acquisition

Ain expands into lifestyle market with acquisition of FrancFranc, targeting women in their 20s and 30s to create synergies and offset margin...

Michael Causton

Japan Weekly | Nikkei Edges Up; Topcon, Rakuten, Oji, Bandai

Japanese stock market sees 1% gain, Topcon's stock soars 63%, market remains sensitive to external factors like U.S. monetary policy and China's...

Mark Chadwick

7-Eleven Corporation: A Clear Strategy for Long-Term Value, Founding Family Return to Super-Stores

Seven & I showed some falls in SSS and income in 1H. Plans to restructure business by creating York Holdings for non-CVS retail ops, with the...

Michael Causton

Last Week in Event SPACE: DFI/JD.com/Yonghui, Alibaba/Sun Art, New World Development, Austal

It’s Sunday! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed during the...

David Blennerhassett

(Mostly) Asia-Pac M&A: Dyna Mac, Platinum Asset, Fuji Soft, JTower, Arvida, Korea Zinc, Sun Art

This insight provides a summary of gross/annualised spreads (on deals discussed on Smartkarma) across Asia-Pacific as at the last trading date, and...

David Blennerhassett

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Ain Shifts Focus with FrancFranc Acquisition

​Ain expands into lifestyle market with acquisition of FrancFranc, targeting women in their 20s and 30s to create synergies and offset margin...

Michael Causton

Japan Weekly | Nikkei Edges Up; Topcon, Rakuten, Oji, Bandai

​Japanese stock market sees 1% gain, Topcon's stock soars 63%, market remains sensitive to external factors like U.S. monetary policy and China's...

Mark Chadwick

7-Eleven Corporation: A Clear Strategy for Long-Term Value, Founding Family Return to Super-Stores

​Seven & I showed some falls in SSS and income in 1H. Plans to restructure business by creating York Holdings for non-CVS retail ops, with the...

Michael Causton

Last Week in Event SPACE: DFI/JD.com/Yonghui, Alibaba/Sun Art, New World Development, Austal

It’s Sunday! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed during the...

David Blennerhassett

(Mostly) Asia-Pac M&A: Dyna Mac, Platinum Asset, Fuji Soft, JTower, Arvida, Korea Zinc, Sun Art

This insight provides a summary of gross/annualised spreads (on deals discussed on Smartkarma) across Asia-Pacific as at the last trading date, and...

David Blennerhassett

Ain expands into lifestyle market with acquisition of FrancFranc, targeting women in their 20s and 30s to create synergies and offset margin...

Japanese stock market sees 1% gain, Topcon's stock soars 63%, market remains sensitive to external factors like U.S. monetary policy and China's...

Seven & I showed some falls in SSS and income in 1H. Plans to restructure business by creating York Holdings for non-CVS retail ops, with the...