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

TSE Tokyo Price Index TOPIX / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We continue to believe a 1-4-month pullback/consolidation is ongoing. Important supports have been violated, including $110 on MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) and $41 on MSCI EM (EEM-US).</li>
<li>We're shifting our outlook to neutral on $ACWI after being bullish since early-November 2023. Major price breakdowns combined with deteriorating market dynamics have increased the odds of a topping pattern.</li>
<li>Also downgrading Japan to market weight. 7/25/24 we said "Japan's TOPIX breaking below 2800-2815 is near-term bearish, suggests it could pull back to its long-term uptrend, or worse."</li>
</ul>


We continue to believe a 1-4-month pullback/consolidation is ongoing. Important supports have been violated, including $110 on MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) and $41 on MSCI EM (EEM-US).
We're shifting our outlook to neutral on $ACWI after being bullish since early-November 2023. Major price breakdowns combined with deteriorating market dynamics have increased the odds of a topping pattern.
Also downgrading Japan to market weight. 7/25/24 we said "Japan's TOPIX breaking below 2800-2815 is near-term bearish, suggests it could pull back to its long-term uptrend, or worse."


Downgrading Japan; Stay Defensive; Downgrading Outlook on Global Equities $ACWI to Neutral

Global Healthcare Analyst

Tina Banerjee

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dr-reddy-s-laboratories-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16406:1" rel="noopener">Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (DRRD IN)</a> has signed a definitive agreement with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/haleon-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36122:1" rel="noopener">Haleon (HLN LN)</a> to acquire latter’s global portfolio of consumer healthcare brands in the nicotine replacement therapy outside US.</li>
<li>The company will acquire the portfolio for a total consideration of £500M ($633M). In 2023, the portfolio generated ~£217M ($274M) revenue. Purchase consideration values the business at EV/sales of 2.3x.</li>
<li>The acquisition will not stretch the balance sheet as Dr. Reddy’s has a cash balance of $990M as on March 31, 2024. The transaction is expected to complete in 4Q24.</li>
</ul>



Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (DRRD IN) has signed a definitive agreement with Haleon (HLN LN) to acquire latter’s global portfolio of consumer healthcare brands in the nicotine replacement therapy outside US.
The company will acquire the portfolio for a total consideration of £500M ($633M). In 2023, the portfolio generated ~£217M ($274M) revenue. Purchase consideration values the business at EV/sales of 2.3x.
The acquisition will not stretch the balance sheet as Dr. Reddy’s has a cash balance of $990M as on March 31, 2024. The transaction is expected to complete in 4Q24.


Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (DRRD IN): Nicotinell Acquisition to Fortify Consumer Healthcare Business

IPOs and Catalysts/Events, Global Equity Research Ltd

Arun George

IPOs and Catalysts/Events

Uncompromised, Independent, Conflict-Free Research

Global Equity Research Ltd

Global Equity Research was started in 2017 by a group of experienced research professionals. It was founded on a passionate belief in the importance and the need for uncompromised, independent, conflict-free research. We aim to provide differentiated and actionable primary and bottom up fundamental research.

Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdin / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/taisho-pharmaceutical-holdin" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3774:1" rel="noopener">Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdin (4581 JP)</a>’s MBO JPY8,620 offer closes on 15 January. Since announcing the offer, the shares have traded above terms for 21 out of the 30 trading days.</li>
<li>Japan Catalyst has called the offer's P/B of 0.85x too low. While shares trading above terms does not guarantee that the tender fails, it does increase the risk of failure.</li>
<li>The offeror has no compelling reason to bump as other activists have not publicly supported Japan Catalyst, the high 55.5% premium to undisturbed price and an achievable minority acceptance rate. </li>
</ul>



Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdin (4581 JP)’s MBO JPY8,620 offer closes on 15 January. Since announcing the offer, the shares have traded above terms for 21 out of the 30 trading days.
Japan Catalyst has called the offer's P/B of 0.85x too low. While shares trading above terms does not guarantee that the tender fails, it does increase the risk of failure.
The offeror has no compelling reason to bump as other activists have not publicly supported Japan Catalyst, the high 55.5% premium to undisturbed price and an achievable minority acceptance rate. 


Taisho Pharmaceutical (4581 JP): Calm as Offer Heads for the 15 January Close

<ul>
<li>Japan Catalyst’s <a href="https://www.japancatalyst.com/pdf/JCI_TAISHO_20231201_eng.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> supports the idea of a <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/taisho-pharmaceutical-holdin" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3774:1" rel="noopener">Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdin (4581 JP)</a> MBO but not the proposed offer price as it implies a P/B less than 1.0x.</li>
<li>The press release is a discovery exercise encouraging other like-minded shareholders to show their hand. The shares are trading marginally above the JPY8,620 offer.</li>
<li>While justifiable, a bump is unlikely due to the lack of a substantial activist shareholder, irrevocables, no competing bid and the offer’s 55.5% premium to the undisturbed price.</li>
</ul>


Japan Catalyst’s press release supports the idea of a Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdin (4581 JP) MBO but not the proposed offer price as it implies a P/B less than 1.0x.
The press release is a discovery exercise encouraging other like-minded shareholders to show their hand. The shares are trading marginally above the JPY8,620 offer.
While justifiable, a bump is unlikely due to the lack of a substantial activist shareholder, irrevocables, no competing bid and the offer’s 55.5% premium to the undisturbed price.


Taisho Pharmaceutical (4581 JP): Japan Catalyst Pushes for a Bump

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

<ul>
<li>Japan Catalyst Fund is a relatively young effort in the Japan "engagement activism" space, having been founded by Monex Group in September 2019. Total assets remain apparently small.</li>
<li>Championed by Monex Group founder Oki Matsumoto, despite small AUM, the fund has decent access. As of end-October, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/taisho-pharmaceutical-holdin" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3774:1" rel="noopener">Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings (4581 JP)</a> was #5 and 5.26%. Now it's #2.</li>
<li>Friday, they released a statement about the MBO. It isn't a barn-burner, but the stock has traded through terms since announcement at a too-low price. And nobody else has commented.</li>
</ul>


Japan Catalyst Fund is a relatively young effort in the Japan "engagement activism" space, having been founded by Monex Group in September 2019. Total assets remain apparently small.
Championed by Monex Group founder Oki Matsumoto, despite small AUM, the fund has decent access. As of end-October, Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings (4581 JP) was #5 and 5.26%. Now it's #2.
Friday, they released a statement about the MBO. It isn't a barn-burner, but the stock has traded through terms since announcement at a too-low price. And nobody else has commented.


Japan Activism:  Japan Catalyst Fund Calls Out Taisho Pharma Committee on MBO Price

United States

Haleon PLC provides consumer healthcare products. The Company offers therapeutic oral health, vitamins, cold and flu, minerals and supplements, pain relief, and digestive health products. Haleon serves customers worldwide.

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Haleon (HLN LN)

Downgrading Japan; Stay Defensive; Downgrading Outlook on Global Equities $ACWI to Neutral

Downgrading Japan TOPIX, Nikkei; Stay Defensive; Downgrading Outlook on Global Equities $ACWI $EEM to Neutral; Many Risk-Off Signals increase odds...

Vermilion Research

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (DRRD IN): Nicotinell Acquisition to Fortify Consumer Healthcare Business

Dr. Reddy's is acquiring Haleon’s global portfolio of consumer healthcare brands in the nicotine replacement therapy outside US for £500M ($633M)....

Tina Banerjee

Taisho Pharmaceutical (4581 JP): Calm as Offer Heads for the 15 January Close

The offeror has no compelling reason to bump as other activists have not publicly supported Japan Catalyst, the high 55.5% premium to undisturbed...

Arun George

Taisho Pharmaceutical (4581 JP): Japan Catalyst Pushes for a Bump

While justifiable, a bump is unlikely due to the lack of a substantial activist shareholder, irrevocables, no competing bid and the offer’s 55.5%...

Arun George

Japan Activism: Japan Catalyst Fund Calls Out Taisho Pharma Committee on MBO Price

Japan Catalyst Fund (an engagement activist) operated by Monex is small, but Taisho Pharm was their 5th largest position at end-Oct. They appear to...

Travis Lundy

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