Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<p><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/unizo-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5209:1" rel="noopener">Unizo Holdings (3258 JP)</a> has a bid from a White Knight. It got four of them - another of which was <em>also</em> at ¥4000/share, but Unizo chose Fortress. </p><p>After trading at ¥4065-4165 on Friday after a Nikkei article suggested a deal with Fortress was imminent, and the subsequent announcement of the deal at ¥4000/share, the shares traded down on Monday the 19th, trading most of the day at ¥4070-4110. Today the shares traded up to about ¥4200 - 5% through terms - most of the day and then at 1 minute past 2pm local time we got New News.</p><h2>The New News</h2><p>The New News is that Ichigo Asset Management (a Japan-domiciled asset management company which is the Japan-based asset management company related to Ichigo Trust Pte (Singapore) which owns 48.67% of the shares and votes of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ichigo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11386:1" rel="noopener">Ichigo Inc (2337 JP)</a>) filed a <a href="https://disclosure.edinet-fsa.go.jp/E01EW/download?uji.verb=W0EZA104CXP001003Action&amp;uji.bean=ee.bean.parent.EECommonSearchBean&amp;PID=W1E63011&amp;SESSIONKEY=1566283144634&amp;lgKbn=2&amp;pkbn=0&amp;skbn=1&amp;dskb=&amp;askb=&amp;dflg=0&amp;iflg=&amp;preId=1&amp;mul=3258&amp;lpr=on&amp;cal=1&amp;era=H&amp;yer=&amp;mon=&amp;pfs=4&amp;row=100&amp;idx=0&amp;str=&amp;kbn=1&amp;flg=&amp;syoruiKanriNo=&amp;s=S100GSC3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Large Shareholder Report</a> on behalf of both itself and Ichigo Trust Pte for having purchased 5.56% of shares out of UNIZO. </p><p>Shares of UNIZO jumped further - from ¥4190 to ¥4300+ in the final hour of trading. </p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/096/314/original/Screen%20Shot%202019-08-20%20at%202.37.36%20PM.png?1566283374" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="96314"></figure><div class="content-caption">source: tradingview.com, Quiddity</div><p>The filing indicates that Ichigo Trust Pte is the owner of 1.9015mm shares, with the last chunk purchased on the 13th of August. That obligated a filing by today. That was Tuesday. We do not know whether they purchased any more subsequent to that. If they purchased more on the 14th, they will likely file tomorrow. If they purchased more above ¥4000/share on Friday after the Nikkei news came out, we may not know until Friday. </p><p>As I wrote a couple of days ago in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/fortress-group-fund-bids-for-unizo-3258-an-interesting-tob" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:31798" rel="noopener">Fortress Group Fund Bids for UNIZO (3258):  An Interesting TOB</a>, it was a buy at terms because of the possibility someone could come in over the top. But the devil is in the details. And good trades are not those which are good in retrospect but those which are good on an ex-ante basis. This may no longer be one of those.  </p><p>There would be one exception to that, which I explain below.</p>

Unizo Holdings (3258 JP) has a bid from a White Knight. It got four of them - another of which was also at ¥4000/share, but Unizo chose Fortress. After trading at ¥4065-4165 on Friday after a Nikkei article suggested a deal with Fortress was imminent, and the subsequent announcement of the deal at ¥4000/share, the shares traded down on Monday the 19th, trading most of the day at ¥4070-4110. Today the shares traded up to about ¥4200 - 5% through terms - most of the day and then at 1 minute past 2pm local time we got New News.The New NewsThe New News is that Ichigo Asset Management (a Japan-domiciled asset management company which is the Japan-based asset management company related to Ichigo Trust Pte (Singapore) which owns 48.67% of the shares and votes of Ichigo Inc (2337 JP)) filed a Large Shareholder Report on behalf of both itself and Ichigo Trust Pte for having purchased 5.56% of shares out of UNIZO. Shares of UNIZO jumped further - from ¥4190 to ¥4300+ in the final hour of trading. source: tradingview.com, QuiddityThe filing indicates that Ichigo Trust Pte is the owner of 1.9015mm shares, with the last chunk purchased on the 13th of August. That obligated a filing by today. That was Tuesday. We do not know whether they purchased any more subsequent to that. If they purchased more on the 14th, they will likely file tomorrow. If they purchased more above ¥4000/share on Friday after the Nikkei news came out, we may not know until Friday. As I wrote a couple of days ago in Fortress Group Fund Bids for UNIZO (3258):  An Interesting TOB, it was a buy at terms because of the possibility someone could come in over the top. But the devil is in the details. And good trades are not those which are good in retrospect but those which are good on an ex-ante basis. This may no longer be one of those.  There would be one exception to that, which I explain below.

UNIZO: At ¥4300+, RiskArb Odds Are NOT Ever In Your Favor

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist, LightStream Research

Campbell Gunn

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist

ja research

ja research is an independent research platform focused exclusively on Japanese equities. Leveraging data and graphic analysis provided by Japan Analytics, we provide insights on small and medium-sized companies that have been ignored by the sell-side as well as challenging conventional wisdom on larger companies. We also offer analyst and corporate access, the latter with translation if required. 

Quantitative Analysis

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/077/686/original/2019-02-02_09-34-42.png?1549067763" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="77686"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div><div style="text-align: left;" class="content-caption">
<strong>Note:</strong> The Results &amp; Revision Score is the average of our Results Score and Forecasts/Revision Score and is updated daily for each company and then cap-weighted-aggregated into Peer Groups, Sectors and the Market Composite. Both scores have a maximum of +30 and a minimum of -30 for each period. The Results Score is calculated quarterly, using the most recent eight quarters of company data for revenues, operating income and operating margin and measures the rate, degree and consistency of change for each metric. The Forecast/Revision Score is based on Annual and Interim period company forecasts and compares changes from previous forecasts as well as against the trailing twelve-month or previous first-half results, with annual forecasts being double-weighted.</div><p><strong>DRIP, DRIP, DRIP</strong> - We 'lead' this fortnight's update with our All-Market Composite Results &amp; Revision Score. Calculated daily, the score is a 'real-time' measure of the state of, and the outlook for, listed Japanese corporations. As the scoring methodology includes earnings momentum 'factors', the data series can be a useful leading indicator of forward earnings. The correlation with the market over the last four years is 0.578, with the indicator leading more often than lagging.   Since peaking on 16th November 2017, the Results &amp; Revisions Score has fallen by 62% and has now returned to the level of May 2017. In the last ten years, the score has only been lower than at present one-third of the time - mostly during the fiscal year ended March 2017 when the total market value averaged ¥550t, close to the December 2018 low. <strong>If we are to repeat the relatively-mild cyclical downturn of 2016, the Results &amp; Revision Score will turn negative in May of this year, and the 25th December 2018 low will be retested.</strong></p><div class="content-caption">
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/077/701/original/2019-02-02_14-11-25.png?1549084295" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="77701"></figure><p>Source: Japan Analytics</p>
</div><p><strong>PAST THE PEAK</strong> - Our earnings indicator peaked 14 months ago, two months ahead of the market's high point on 26th January 2018. It now appears that aggregate reported earnings, as well as aggregate company forecasts for the current year, are now turning decisively lower after nine quarters of uninterrupted growth. Forecast Net Income for the current year is now 7% below the high point in trailing-twelve-month (TTM) Net Income from this cycle, which was reached two months ago. Operating Income is, as usual, 'lagging' and forecasts are still marginally ahead of TTM. The TTM all-market price-earnings ratio reached 11.5 times on Christmas Day, which will prove to be the cycle low point.<strong> We expect the return to median levels, to be achieved more through lower 'E' as opposed to a higher 'P'. </strong> <strong>Mr Market is currently implying that Japanese corporate profits are due to fall by 23% on average from the cycle peak, or by 30% if we are to revisit the December low-point. </strong></p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/077/746/original/2019-02-03_07-23-31.png?1549146223" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="77746"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>THE FIRST CUT</strong> - 23% of listed companies reported their most recent quarterly earnings results in the last two weeks. For these companies, TTM revenues grew by 5.1% year-on-year, but only by 0.5% quarter-on-quarter, the lowest qoq growth rate in over a year. TTM Operating Income is now 0.8% lower than the TTM total of one year ago and declined by 4.4% qoq. Operating margins fell by 49bps year-on-year.  Current forecasts for this group of companies imply 3.1% yoy top line growth, but only 0.3% compared to the quarter just declared. For Operating Income, the rates are -2.0% and 0.6%, reflecting the normal TTM-to-forecast 'lag'. <strong>Corporate Japan's profits are now rolling over and will be in a 'recession' by the fiscal year-end.  </strong></p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/077/722/original/2019-02-02_18-25-46.png?1549099572" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="77722"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>INTERREGNUM</strong> - Our bear market rally has paused to look at and digest the earnings-announcement news flow and will likely be trendless for the next few weeks as 'good' reactions offset 'bad'.<strong> In due course, we expect the preponderance of negative momentum to tip the scales.</strong></p><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/077/724/original/2019-02-02_18-41-12.png?1549100508" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="77724"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div><p><strong>TORAKU @110</strong> - The <em>Toraku</em> advance-decline indicator has continued to recover and is within ten points of the overbought zone, which has only been breached once since the market peak of January 2018.<strong> This signal is 'amber' and could be 'red' by the end of next week. </strong></p><div class="content-highlight">
<p><strong>OUTLOOK &amp; RECOMMENDATIONS</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>We continue to recommend an underweight position in Japan in global portfolios.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The equity market decline at the end of last year was well in advance of the underlying trends in the economy and corporate profits; the recent 10% rally has corrected that imbalance. Nevertheless, the global cycle has turned down sharply, and many economies will be in a recession by the end of this quarter. We expect Japanese corporate earnings to follow suit. <em> </em></strong></li>
<li><strong>Although some of the coming decline in aggregate earnings has been well-discounted, our Results &amp; Revision Score has yet to turn negative. Accordingly, we expect the market to retest the December 2018 low, probably in May when the FY2020 forecasts are announced and our score starts 'seeing red'.</strong></li>
<li><strong>In the near term and despite the rally in the more cyclical sectors, we continue to favour undervalued domestically-orientated companies in the Information Technology, Internet, Media, and Telecommunications sectors. We would avoid or short Banks and Non-Bank Finance.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div><p>In the <strong>DETAIL</strong> section below, we will review Sector performance over the last two weeks, and, in addition to our regular roundup of results, revisions and stock performance including brief comments on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/3700" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3700:1">Anritsu (6754 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/12001" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12001:1">Alps Alpine (6770 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/24540" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24540:1">SanBio (4592 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/454" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:454:1">Lixil (5938 JP)</a> (yes, again), <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/752" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:752:1">Fanuc (6954 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/219" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:219:1">Mizuho Financial Group (8411 JP)</a> , and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/8197" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8197:1">Cyberagent (4751 JP)</a>.</p>

Source: Japan Analytics
Note: The Results &amp; Revision Score is the average of our Results Score and Forecasts/Revision Score and is updated daily for each company and then cap-weighted-aggregated into Peer Groups, Sectors and the Market Composite. Both scores have a maximum of +30 and a minimum of -30 for each period. The Results Score is calculated quarterly, using the most recent eight quarters of company data for revenues, operating income and operating margin and measures the rate, degree and consistency of change for each metric. The Forecast/Revision Score is based on Annual and Interim period company forecasts and compares changes from previous forecasts as well as against the trailing twelve-month or previous first-half results, with annual forecasts being double-weighted.DRIP, DRIP, DRIP - We 'lead' this fortnight's update with our All-Market Composite Results &amp; Revision Score. Calculated daily, the score is a 'real-time' measure of the state of, and the outlook for, listed Japanese corporations. As the scoring methodology includes earnings momentum 'factors', the data series can be a useful leading indicator of forward earnings. The correlation with the market over the last four years is 0.578, with the indicator leading more often than lagging.   Since peaking on 16th November 2017, the Results &amp; Revisions Score has fallen by 62% and has now returned to the level of May 2017. In the last ten years, the score has only been lower than at present one-third of the time - mostly during the fiscal year ended March 2017 when the total market value averaged ¥550t, close to the December 2018 low. If we are to repeat the relatively-mild cyclical downturn of 2016, the Results &amp; Revision Score will turn negative in May of this year, and the 25th December 2018 low will be retested.
Source: Japan Analytics
PAST THE PEAK - Our earnings indicator peaked 14 months ago, two months ahead of the market's high point on 26th January 2018. It now appears that aggregate reported earnings, as well as aggregate company forecasts for the current year, are now turning decisively lower after nine quarters of uninterrupted growth. Forecast Net Income for the current year is now 7% below the high point in trailing-twelve-month (TTM) Net Income from this cycle, which was reached two months ago. Operating Income is, as usual, 'lagging' and forecasts are still marginally ahead of TTM. The TTM all-market price-earnings ratio reached 11.5 times on Christmas Day, which will prove to be the cycle low point. We expect the return to median levels, to be achieved more through lower 'E' as opposed to a higher 'P'.  Mr Market is currently implying that Japanese corporate profits are due to fall by 23% on average from the cycle peak, or by 30% if we are to revisit the December low-point. Source: Japan AnalyticsTHE FIRST CUT - 23% of listed companies reported their most recent quarterly earnings results in the last two weeks. For these companies, TTM revenues grew by 5.1% year-on-year, but only by 0.5% quarter-on-quarter, the lowest qoq growth rate in over a year. TTM Operating Income is now 0.8% lower than the TTM total of one year ago and declined by 4.4% qoq. Operating margins fell by 49bps year-on-year.  Current forecasts for this group of companies imply 3.1% yoy top line growth, but only 0.3% compared to the quarter just declared. For Operating Income, the rates are -2.0% and 0.6%, reflecting the normal TTM-to-forecast 'lag'. Corporate Japan's profits are now rolling over and will be in a 'recession' by the fiscal year-end.  Source: Japan AnalyticsINTERREGNUM - Our bear market rally has paused to look at and digest the earnings-announcement news flow and will likely be trendless for the next few weeks as 'good' reactions offset 'bad'. In due course, we expect the preponderance of negative momentum to tip the scales.Source: Japan AnalyticsTORAKU @110 - The Toraku advance-decline indicator has continued to recover and is within ten points of the overbought zone, which has only been breached once since the market peak of January 2018. This signal is 'amber' and could be 'red' by the end of next week. 
OUTLOOK &amp; RECOMMENDATIONS

We continue to recommend an underweight position in Japan in global portfolios.
The equity market decline at the end of last year was well in advance of the underlying trends in the economy and corporate profits; the recent 10% rally has corrected that imbalance. Nevertheless, the global cycle has turned down sharply, and many economies will be in a recession by the end of this quarter. We expect Japanese corporate earnings to follow suit.  
Although some of the coming decline in aggregate earnings has been well-discounted, our Results &amp; Revision Score has yet to turn negative. Accordingly, we expect the market to retest the December 2018 low, probably in May when the FY2020 forecasts are announced and our score starts 'seeing red'.
In the near term and despite the rally in the more cyclical sectors, we continue to favour undervalued domestically-orientated companies in the Information Technology, Internet, Media, and Telecommunications sectors. We would avoid or short Banks and Non-Bank Finance.

In the DETAIL section below, we will review Sector performance over the last two weeks, and, in addition to our regular roundup of results, revisions and stock performance including brief comments on Anritsu (6754 JP), Alps Alpine (6770 JP), SanBio (4592 JP), Lixil (5938 JP) (yes, again), Fanuc (6954 JP), Mizuho Financial Group (8411 JP) , and Cyberagent (4751 JP).

Japan Fortnightly Update: Drip, Drip, Drip...

Japan/Asia Long-Short, LightStream Research

Mio Kato

Japan/Asia Long-Short

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

Equity Bottom-Up

Ichigo Hotel Reit Investment / Equity Bottom-Up

<p>With Japan's "Minpaku" law set to become effective on 15 Jun there has been much turmoil with <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Sharing-Economy/Japan-s-Airbnb-refugees-are-desperate-for-alternatives" target="_blank">Airbnb reportedly cancelling 80% of its 62,000 Japanese listings</a> following instructions from the Japan Tourism Agency to ensure that listings were in compliance with the new law. Airbnb previously operated in a legal grey zone within Japan and in order to clarify the legality of its position, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) drew up regulations to legalise home sharing…</p>

With Japan's "Minpaku" law set to become effective on 15 Jun there has been much turmoil with Airbnb reportedly cancelling 80% of its 62,000 Japanese listings following instructions from the Japan Tourism Agency to ensure that listings were in compliance with the new law. Airbnb previously operated in a legal grey zone within Japan and in order to clarify the legality of its position, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) drew up regulations to legalise home sharing…

80% of Japanese AirBnB Listings Just Got Cancelled - Who Benefits?

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

<p>The MSCI ACWI advanced to <em>another new high</em> yesterday - to levels not seen since mid-March with the U.S. and Emerging Markets leading the move. While potential resistance levels exist, recent developments only bolster our already positive outlook.  In today's report, we highlight actionable setups within our global Technology, and Real Estate Developers and REITs Groups.</p>

The MSCI ACWI advanced to another new high yesterday - to levels not seen since mid-March with the U.S. and Emerging Markets leading the move. While potential resistance levels exist, recent developments only bolster our already positive outlook.  In today's report, we highlight actionable setups within our global Technology, and Real Estate Developers and REITs Groups.

MSCI ACWI’s Advance Continues: U.S. And Emerging Markets Leading the Way

Doing bespoke work since 2002....., Custom Products Group

Patrick Hansen

Doing bespoke work since 2002.....

Custom Products Group

Custom Products was started 14 years ago at Lehman Brothers by current co-founder Patrick Hansen, CFA. After 3 years at Lehman, Patrick moved the team to Macquarie Securities where Simon Rigney (co-founder) joined. 3 years ago we took Custom Products independent. 

Our core strength can be summed up three words. 1- Customization - we have very little off the shelf products and most work is done on a one on one bespoke basis. 2- Speed - We pride ourselves in our ability to get requests back to the client very quickly. 3- Confidentiality - We do not redistribute. There is no grace period where we wait a week and then mass blast. Any request stops with that client.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<p>We isolated the Japanese brokers to see if there was a significant difference between the Japanese broker outlook and Foreign outlook. We compared the average Target Price given by each group for companies with 2 or more Analysts with coverage.</p><h2>Japanese Bullish Side....</h2><p>We then screened for names with greater than 20% (absolute) difference in upside from the current target price. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/21001" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21001:1">Eisai Co Ltd (4523 JP)</a> tops the list with a 44% difference in upside from the current price. Japanese brokers are…</p>

We isolated the Japanese brokers to see if there was a significant difference between the Japanese broker outlook and Foreign outlook. We compared the average Target Price given by each group for companies with 2 or more Analysts with coverage.Japanese Bullish Side....We then screened for names with greater than 20% (absolute) difference in upside from the current target price. Eisai Co Ltd (4523 JP) tops the list with a 44% difference in upside from the current price. Japanese brokers are…

Which Names Are the Japanese Brokers More Bullish / Bearish On....

Japan

Ichigo Inc. is a value-add real estate company. The Company's three key businesses are Value-Add, in which Ichigo acquires and improves mid-sized, prime location real estate, Asset Management including the Ichigo Office REIT (8975), and Clean Energy, in which Ichigo builds and operates solar power plants  on disused land nationwide.

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Ichigo Inc (2337 JP)

UNIZO: At ¥4300+, RiskArb Odds Are NOT Ever In Your Favor

Unizo Holdings (3258 JP) has a bid from a White Knight. It got four of them - another of which was also at ¥4000/share, but Unizo chose...

Travis Lundy

Japan Fortnightly Update: Drip, Drip, Drip...

DRIP, DRIP, DRIP - We 'lead' this fortnight's update with our All-Market Composite Results & Revision Score. Calculated daily, the score is a...

Campbell Gunn

80% of Japanese AirBnB Listings Just Got Cancelled - Who Benefits?

With Japan's "Minpaku" law set to become effective on 15 Jun there has been much turmoil with Airbnb reportedly cancelling 80% of its 62,000...

Mio Kato

MSCI ACWI’s Advance Continues: U.S. And Emerging Markets Leading the Way

The MSCI ACWI advanced to another new high yesterday - to levels not seen since mid-March with the U.S. and Emerging Markets leading the move....

Vermilion Research

Which Names Are the Japanese Brokers More Bullish / Bearish On....

We isolated the Japanese brokers to see if there was a significant difference between the Japanese broker outlook and Foreign outlook. We compared...

Custom Products Group

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