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

Market dynamics remain healthy which suggests a new broad-based bull market is not far off. With that said, we are still waiting for confirmation in the form of breakouts or bullish price inflections on the broad global indexes (ACWI-US, ACWX-US, EFA-US, and EEM-US) in order to turn bullish.<ul type="disc">
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Actionable Theme: Major Autos/Auto Parts. Global automobile stocks display bullish price and RS inflections with many breaking out to new highs -- add exposure... see pages 3 and 5-6.</li>
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Actionable Theme: Financials. There continues to be a plethora of attractive Financial stocks globally, ranging from banks and insurance to financial services -- add exposure... see pages 4 and 6-14.</li>
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Market dynamics remain healthy which suggests a new broad-based bull market is not far off. With that said, we are still waiting for confirmation in the form of breakouts or bullish price inflections on the broad global indexes (ACWI-US, ACWX-US, EFA-US, and EEM-US) in order to turn bullish.

Actionable Theme: Major Autos/Auto Parts. Global automobile stocks display bullish price and RS inflections with many breaking out to new highs -- add exposure... see pages 3 and 5-6.

Actionable Theme: Financials. There continues to be a plethora of attractive Financial stocks globally, ranging from banks and insurance to financial services -- add exposure... see pages 4 and 6-14.


Buying Global Financials & Autos/Auto Parts

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

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Event-Driven

On 20 September, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ausnet-services" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10293:1" rel="noopener">Ausnet Services (AST AU)</a> announced that it had received an unsolicited, indicative, non-binding and conditional proposal from the infrastructure affiliate of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/brookfield-asset-manage-cl-a-0483cfb5-71a5-4931-af80-901e5f30aace" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23741:1" rel="noopener">Brookfield Asset Management (BAM US)</a> to acquire all the shares in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ausnet-services" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10293:1" rel="noopener">Ausnet Services (AST AU)</a> via a Scheme of Arrangement at an indicative price of A$2.50/share in cash.<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ausnet-services" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10293:1" rel="noopener">Ausnet Services (AST AU)</a> finished the day 19.2% higher at A$2.36 on volumes that were nearly 3 times the ADV.In a surprising development, earlier today, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/apa-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18658:1" rel="noopener">APA Group (APA AU)</a> announced that it has made a non-binding indicative proposal to acquire all the shares in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ausnet-services" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10293:1" rel="noopener">Ausnet Services (AST AU)</a> via a Scheme of Arrangement at an indicative price of A$2.60/share in cash and scrip.What makes this even more surprising is that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/apa-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18658:1" rel="noopener">APA Group (APA AU)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ausnet-services" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10293:1" rel="noopener">Ausnet Services (AST AU)</a> were in discussions earlier. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ausnet-services" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10293:1" rel="noopener">Ausnet Services (AST AU)</a> knew that a revised offer from <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/apa-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18658:1" rel="noopener">APA Group (APA AU)</a> was forthcoming, yet went ahead and gave Brookfield an 8 week period of exclusivity for due diligence.<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/apa-group" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18658:1" rel="noopener">APA Group (APA AU)</a> has clearly laid out why its proposal is superior to the proposal from <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/brookfield-asset-manage-cl-a-0483cfb5-71a5-4931-af80-901e5f30aace" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23741:1" rel="noopener">Brookfield Asset Management (BAM US)</a> and this could get interesting with a possibility of even higher bids coming in for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ausnet-services" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10293:1" rel="noopener">Ausnet Services (AST AU)</a>.<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ausnet-services" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:10293:1" rel="noopener">Ausnet Services (AST AU)</a> is a member of the S&amp;P/ASX 100, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/s-p-asx-200" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22901:1" rel="noopener">S&amp;P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX)</a> and S&amp;P/ASX 300 Indices. Once the stock is delisted, it will be replaced in the indices with the highest ranking stocks that are not part of the index. With the wave of ongoing M&amp;A activity, there will be a lot of additions to the indices in the next few months.

On 20 September, Ausnet Services (AST AU) announced that it had received an unsolicited, indicative, non-binding and conditional proposal from the infrastructure affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management (BAM US) to acquire all the shares in Ausnet Services (AST AU) via a Scheme of Arrangement at an indicative price of A$2.50/share in cash.Ausnet Services (AST AU) finished the day 19.2% higher at A$2.36 on volumes that were nearly 3 times the ADV.In a surprising development, earlier today, APA Group (APA AU) announced that it has made a non-binding indicative proposal to acquire all the shares in Ausnet Services (AST AU) via a Scheme of Arrangement at an indicative price of A$2.60/share in cash and scrip.What makes this even more surprising is that APA Group (APA AU) and Ausnet Services (AST AU) were in discussions earlier. Ausnet Services (AST AU) knew that a revised offer from APA Group (APA AU) was forthcoming, yet went ahead and gave Brookfield an 8 week period of exclusivity for due diligence.APA Group (APA AU) has clearly laid out why its proposal is superior to the proposal from Brookfield Asset Management (BAM US) and this could get interesting with a possibility of even higher bids coming in for Ausnet Services (AST AU).Ausnet Services (AST AU) is a member of the S&amp;P/ASX 100, S&amp;P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX) and S&amp;P/ASX 300 Indices. Once the stock is delisted, it will be replaced in the indices with the highest ranking stocks that are not part of the index. With the wave of ongoing M&amp;A activity, there will be a lot of additions to the indices in the next few months.

AusNet (AST AU): Bidding War Between Brookfield & APA Brewing?

Global Special Situations & Strategy, SR Services Ltd

David Lepper

Global Special Situations & Strategy

SR Services Ltd

SR Services provides Strategic Knowledge and Solutions services for Family Offices and Corporate Business. 

We deliver this via advisory services, strategic planning, opportunity analysis/sourcing, as well as solution implementation. 

Whilst, we create intellectual discipline and operational leverage for your projects or daily activities, our ultimate objective is to empower whilst enhancing your decision making. 

Strategic Knowledge and Solutions

Equity Bottom-Up

<h2>
Examining key questions from the Kioxia &amp; PE news flow
</h2>In our July 2021 note <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/toshiba-corp-6502-jp-chapter-5" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:54649" rel="noopener">Toshiba Corp (6502 JP) Chapter 5: Assessing the Next Move</a> we stated that one of the key events to be expected as early as September 2021, was the IPO of the firms 40% stake in Kioxia Holdings Corporation (Kioxia). Kioxia was due to be listed in 2020, but did not occur due to “the coronavirus pandemic and market volatility.” At the time of pulling the IPO in 2020, Toshiba was expecting a valuation of around $16 billion. Several media sources, including Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, have alluded to the fact that a potential merger of Kioxia with Western Digital to the value of US$20bn may be on the cards. They have cited a possible transaction using shares as opposed to cash or a combination. This is news that shareholders and in particular the activist shareholders have wanted to hear for some time and a transaction that is expected to be welcomed. We examine several of the key questions surrounding the Kioxia news and what is next for Toshiba - including the potential for a full PE bid.


Examining key questions from the Kioxia &amp; PE news flow
In our July 2021 note Toshiba Corp (6502 JP) Chapter 5: Assessing the Next Move we stated that one of the key events to be expected as early as September 2021, was the IPO of the firms 40% stake in Kioxia Holdings Corporation (Kioxia). Kioxia was due to be listed in 2020, but did not occur due to “the coronavirus pandemic and market volatility.” At the time of pulling the IPO in 2020, Toshiba was expecting a valuation of around $16 billion. Several media sources, including Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, have alluded to the fact that a potential merger of Kioxia with Western Digital to the value of US$20bn may be on the cards. They have cited a possible transaction using shares as opposed to cash or a combination. This is news that shareholders and in particular the activist shareholders have wanted to hear for some time and a transaction that is expected to be welcomed. We examine several of the key questions surrounding the Kioxia news and what is next for Toshiba - including the potential for a full PE bid. 

Toshiba Corp (6502 JP) Chapter 6: Potential for Value Creation

Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index / Technical Analysis

Cracks are beginning to show, particularly in EM/China where the MSCI EM index (EEM-US) is breaking below major $52 base support, the Shanghai Composite is breaking below 3500, the CSI 300 is breaking below 4885, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng is breaking below 27,000 support. Thankfully we have stayed away from areas hardest hit since EM/China has had poor relative performance for quite some time. Despite this being largely self-induced and very China-specific due to China's regulatory crackdown, the overhang could linger as additional Sectors/industries could be targeted. Moreover, it certainly does not help our already cautious and neutral outlook, but rather reinforces it.

Cracks are beginning to show, particularly in EM/China where the MSCI EM index (EEM-US) is breaking below major $52 base support, the Shanghai Composite is breaking below 3500, the CSI 300 is breaking below 4885, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng is breaking below 27,000 support. Thankfully we have stayed away from areas hardest hit since EM/China has had poor relative performance for quite some time. Despite this being largely self-induced and very China-specific due to China's regulatory crackdown, the overhang could linger as additional Sectors/industries could be targeted. Moreover, it certainly does not help our already cautious and neutral outlook, but rather reinforces it.

Weakness Contained To EM & China Thus Far; Actionable Themes: Tech, Utilities, Financials, Materials

European Event-Driven Analyst

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

On 21 July, Bloomberg reported that Canadian <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/brookfield-asset-management-cl-a" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:25297:1" rel="noopener">Brookfield Asset Management-Cl A (BAM/A CN)</a> was working with advisers as it considers a potential bid for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alstria-office-reit-ag" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21582:1" rel="noopener">alstria office reit-ag (AOX GR)</a><a href="https://platform.marketintelligence.spglobal.com/web/client?auth=inherit#company/profile?KeyProductLinkType=2&amp;id=4160242" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>. alstria office's shares jumped on the news and closed 9% higher. A buyout of the company would be the biggest take-private deal in Germany in 2021. On the same day, alstria stated it "takes note of the press rumours with respect to a potential takeover offer by Brookfield Asset Management Inc.".
The interest of Brookfield in alstria is a bet on German office market recovery. The portfolio of alstria should hold well in value vis-à-vis any further waves of the pandemic. Moreover cash flows are stable as alstria is mainly exposed to public sector tenants with long-term leases and it has stable occupancy rates.
Before the pandemic, alstria used to trade at a premium to BV, as of 23 July, it traded at 0.94x, and it is showing a remarkable recovery since the lows of November 2020, driven by vaccination campaigns and the soon-to-happen "back-to-office".
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On 4 March 2021, S&amp;P upgraded Alstria to BBB+ (outlook stable) on sustained low debt leverage (low ratio of debt to debt plus equity of 27.6%), material share of public tenants and long lease maturity profile and robust liquidity profile.
A takeout price could come in at €18.68, a 10% premium over the last reported EPRA NTA and 6.4% premium to the closing price on 23 July. My PT is economic-profit based and equates to a 1% discount to EPRA NTA 22e (source Capital IQ consensus). alstria trades at 3.5% FFO yield. and 3% dividend yield.
German property values continue to increase. The ECB does not seem worried about inflation as long as the delta variant is spreading and will not stop its debt purchasing program in the short term, therefore monetary policy will likely remain unchanged.
Recommendation is Long AOX GR, PT €18.68.


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On 21 July, Bloomberg reported that Canadian Brookfield Asset Management-Cl A (BAM/A CN) was working with advisers as it considers a potential bid for alstria office reit-ag (AOX GR). alstria office's shares jumped on the news and closed 9% higher. A buyout of the company would be the biggest take-private deal in Germany in 2021. On the same day, alstria stated it "takes note of the press rumours with respect to a potential takeover offer by Brookfield Asset Management Inc.".
The interest of Brookfield in alstria is a bet on German office market recovery. The portfolio of alstria should hold well in value vis-à-vis any further waves of the pandemic. Moreover cash flows are stable as alstria is mainly exposed to public sector tenants with long-term leases and it has stable occupancy rates.
Before the pandemic, alstria used to trade at a premium to BV, as of 23 July, it traded at 0.94x, and it is showing a remarkable recovery since the lows of November 2020, driven by vaccination campaigns and the soon-to-happen "back-to-office".



On 4 March 2021, S&amp;P upgraded Alstria to BBB+ (outlook stable) on sustained low debt leverage (low ratio of debt to debt plus equity of 27.6%), material share of public tenants and long lease maturity profile and robust liquidity profile.
A takeout price could come in at €18.68, a 10% premium over the last reported EPRA NTA and 6.4% premium to the closing price on 23 July. My PT is economic-profit based and equates to a 1% discount to EPRA NTA 22e (source Capital IQ consensus). alstria trades at 3.5% FFO yield. and 3% dividend yield.
German property values continue to increase. The ECB does not seem worried about inflation as long as the delta variant is spreading and will not stop its debt purchasing program in the short term, therefore monetary policy will likely remain unchanged.
Recommendation is Long AOX GR, PT €18.68.






Brookfield/Alstria Office REIT: Potential Takeover

Canada

Brookfield Corporation operates as an asset management company. The Company invests in long-life, high-quality assets and businesses, as well as focuses on real estate, infrastructure, and renewable power sectors. Brookfield serves customers worldwide.

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Brookfield (BN CN)

Buying Global Financials & Autos/Auto Parts

Global automobile stocks display bullish price and RS inflections with many breaking out to new highs. Financials are attractive globally, ranging...

Vermilion Research

AusNet (AST AU): Bidding War Between Brookfield & APA Brewing?

Yesterday, Brookfield made an offer for AusNet at A$2.5/share in cash. Today, APA Group made an offer at A$2.6/share in cash + scrip. This could go...

Brian Freitas

Toshiba Corp (6502 JP) Chapter 6: Potential for Value Creation

@Toshiba (6502.JP) activists might applaud a Wester Digital Merger, but this is just one alternative - PE bids still viable. Perhaps value...

David Lepper

Weakness Contained To EM & China Thus Far; Actionable Themes: Tech, Utilities, Financials, Materials

Cracks are beginning to show, particularly in EM/China. Key support violations include the MSCI EM index below $52, the Shanghai Comp below 3500,...

Vermilion Research

Brookfield/Alstria Office REIT: Potential Takeover

A takeout price could come in at €18.68, 10% premium overlast reported EPRA NTA, 6.4% premium to last closing price. PT is economic-profit...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

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