Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rakuten-bank-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:35638:1" rel="noopener">Rakuten Bank (5838 JP)</a>, the online banking arm of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rakuten-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31:1" rel="noopener">Rakuten (4755 JP)</a>, aims to raise up to around US$900m in its Japan listing in April 2023.</li>
<li>RB is the largest internet bank in Japan, by number of accounts. As of Dec 22, it had 13.3m deposit accounts with a total deposit base of JPY8.8tn.</li>
<li>In our earlier notes, we have looked at the company’s past performance. In this note, we talk about the updates from its recent filings.</li>
</ul>



Rakuten Bank (5838 JP), the online banking arm of Rakuten (4755 JP), aims to raise up to around US$900m in its Japan listing in April 2023.
RB is the largest internet bank in Japan, by number of accounts. As of Dec 22, it had 13.3m deposit accounts with a total deposit base of JPY8.8tn.
In our earlier notes, we have looked at the company’s past performance. In this note, we talk about the updates from its recent filings.


Rakuten Bank IPO - Recent Filings Updates and Quick Thoughts on Valuation

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>After <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hybe-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28959:1" rel="noopener">HYBE (352820 KS)</a> conceded to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15002:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Corp (035720 KS)</a> earlier this month, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/s-m-entertainment-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3500:1" rel="noopener">S.M.Entertainment Co (041510 KS)</a>'s shares have declined 23%. </li>
<li>Kakao's Partial Offer of  ₩150,000/share closes on the 26 March. </li>
<li>Unadjusted proration is 36.8%, conservatively rising to 48.5%. It may settle at 61% if HYBE maintains its position - but that is probably a tad optimistic. </li>
</ul>


After HYBE (352820 KS) conceded to Kakao Corp (035720 KS) earlier this month, S.M.Entertainment Co (041510 KS)'s shares have declined 23%. 
Kakao's Partial Offer of  ₩150,000/share closes on the 26 March. 
Unadjusted proration is 36.8%, conservatively rising to 48.5%. It may settle at 61% if HYBE maintains its position - but that is probably a tad optimistic. 


APAC IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Clarence Chu

APAC IPOs & Placements

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bionote-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36446:1" rel="noopener">Bionote (377740 KS)</a> was listed on 22nd Dec 2023, when it raised US$73m in its downsized Korean IPO. Its three-month lockup will expire on 21st Mar 23.</li>
<li>Bionote is an integrated producer of diagnostics test products and biocontent products. Based on its unique recombinant antigen and antibody manufacturing technology, the firm researches and develops diagnostic reagent products.</li>
<li>Coming up for three-month lockup expiry are the firm’s three pre-IPO investors, together with Gunwoo Ha (ex-CEO). The three pre-IPO investors had earlier trimmed their respective stakes in the IPO.</li>
</ul>



Bionote (377740 KS) was listed on 22nd Dec 2023, when it raised US$73m in its downsized Korean IPO. Its three-month lockup will expire on 21st Mar 23.
Bionote is an integrated producer of diagnostics test products and biocontent products. Based on its unique recombinant antigen and antibody manufacturing technology, the firm researches and develops diagnostic reagent products.
Coming up for three-month lockup expiry are the firm’s three pre-IPO investors, together with Gunwoo Ha (ex-CEO). The three pre-IPO investors had earlier trimmed their respective stakes in the IPO.


Bionote Lock-Up - Uncertainty on the Horizon, Likely to See Some Selling Pressure

<ul>
<li>Medium-Term, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-post-bank-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:838:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post Bank (7182 JP)</a> is not in great shape fundamentally compared to others We still know nothing about TOPIX. And we may just not hear. </li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kakao-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15002:1" rel="noopener">Kakao Corp (035720 KS)</a> to take control of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/s-m-entertainment-co" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3500:1" rel="noopener">S.M.Entertainment Co (041510 KS)</a> after <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hybe-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28959:1" rel="noopener">HYBE (352820 KS)</a> throws in the towel.</li>
<li>The world is quite volatile now, and funding is probably more precious today than yesterday. But a bid for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/toshiba-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:637:1" rel="noopener">Toshiba Corp (6502 JP)</a> is too. </li>
</ul>


Medium-Term, Japan Post Bank (7182 JP) is not in great shape fundamentally compared to others We still know nothing about TOPIX. And we may just not hear. 

Kakao Corp (035720 KS) to take control of S.M.Entertainment Co (041510 KS) after HYBE (352820 KS) throws in the towel.
The world is quite volatile now, and funding is probably more precious today than yesterday. But a bid for Toshiba Corp (6502 JP) is too. 


Last Week in Event SPACE: Japan Post Bank, S.M Entertainment, Toshiba, Link REIT

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

Clepsydra Capital

Investigate special situations, pairs, and index rebalancing trades in Korea.

<ul>
<li>The target volume is 47.6% of the nominally estimated tendering pool size. It may go up due to retail investors' typically low participation in tendering.</li>
<li>Other factors MAY OFFSET this. Most notable is the tendering possibility of HYBE (18.45%) and Lee Soo-man (4.96%). Combining these, the allocation rate will likely be between 50% and 60%.</li>
<li>Using this 50-60% band as a reference point, we should assess the risk of mismatching between the degree of post-tendering price correction and our loss buffer range for non-tendered shares.</li>
</ul>


The target volume is 47.6% of the nominally estimated tendering pool size. It may go up due to retail investors' typically low participation in tendering.
Other factors MAY OFFSET this. Most notable is the tendering possibility of HYBE (18.45%) and Lee Soo-man (4.96%). Combining these, the allocation rate will likely be between 50% and 60%.
Using this 50-60% band as a reference point, we should assess the risk of mismatching between the degree of post-tendering price correction and our loss buffer range for non-tendered shares.


SM Ent Tendering P&L & Allocation Risk for a 30% Spread Opening

South Korea

Kakao Corp. provides Internet portal services such as news, free e-mail, and leisure information.  The Company also offers cross-platform mobile messaging application that allows users to exchange messages.

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Kakao Corp (035720 KS)

Rakuten Bank IPO - Recent Filings Updates and Quick Thoughts on Valuation

Rakuten Bank (5838 JP), the online banking arm of Rakuten (4755 JP), aims to raise up to around US$900m in its Japan listing in April 2023.

Sumeet Singh

S.M. Entertainment: Proration Musings

I do not expect SM to trade below undisturbed levels after the close of the Partial. A merger/IPO with Kakao Entertainment is very much on the...

David Blennerhassett

Bionote Lock-Up - Uncertainty on the Horizon, Likely to See Some Selling Pressure

Bionote (377740 KS) was listed on 22nd Dec 2023, when it raised US$73m in its downsized Korean IPO. Its three-month lockup will expire on 21st Mar 23.

Clarence Chu

Last Week in Event SPACE: Japan Post Bank, S.M Entertainment, Toshiba, Link REIT

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed...

David Blennerhassett

SM Ent Tendering P&L & Allocation Risk for a 30% Spread Opening

This post examines tendering pool size, P&L, and allocation risks (and likely final rate) of SM Entertainment tendering event.

Sanghyun Park

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