'Quantamental' Japan Specialist, LightStream Research

Campbell Gunn

'Quantamental' Japan Specialist

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.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

GAMING PAYABLES - As part of the fallout from Greensill Capital's collapse, much has been made of the risks involved in supply chain finance and the accounting treatment of payables that can be used to 'flatter' balance sheets that are often overloaded with debt. As @matt_levineobserved yesterday:-<section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/193/505/original/2021-03-11_10-33-14.png?1615426510" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="193505"></figure></section>APPLYING THE 'DUMB RULE OF THUMB' TO JAPAN - Accordingly, we have applied a simple screen to our universe of 3,689 Japanse companies with the following criteria:<ol>
<li>Market Cap, ex Treasury Stock,&gt; ¥100 billion (672 companies)</li>
<li> Last Quarter Payable Days &gt; -100 (93 companies)</li>
<li>1-Year change in Average Days Payable &gt; -25 (7 companies)</li>
</ol>We have excluded <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sony-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:563:1" rel="noopener">Sony (6758 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/z-holdings-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19603:1" rel="noopener">Z Holdings (4689 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rakuten-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31:1" rel="noopener">Rakuten (4755 JP)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/japan-post-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:359:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post (6178 JP)</a> from the screening due to their consolidation of financial subsidiaries. The results are in the DETAIL section below; however, the TTM Working Capital Day chart for the largest of the seven by market cap is below. It's 'owner' should be no surprise to followers of the Greensill saga.<section class="figure"><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/193/508/original/2021-03-11_11-04-24.png?1615428279" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="193508"></figure></section><div class="content-caption">Source for all charts &amp; tables: Japan Analytics</div>

GAMING PAYABLES - As part of the fallout from Greensill Capital's collapse, much has been made of the risks involved in supply chain finance and the accounting treatment of payables that can be used to 'flatter' balance sheets that are often overloaded with debt. As @matt_levineobserved yesterday:-APPLYING THE 'DUMB RULE OF THUMB' TO JAPAN - Accordingly, we have applied a simple screen to our universe of 3,689 Japanse companies with the following criteria:
Market Cap, ex Treasury Stock,&gt; ¥100 billion (672 companies)
 Last Quarter Payable Days &gt; -100 (93 companies)
1-Year change in Average Days Payable &gt; -25 (7 companies)
We have excluded Sony (6758 JP), Z Holdings (4689 JP), Rakuten (4755 JP), and Japan Post (6178 JP) from the screening due to their consolidation of financial subsidiaries. The results are in the DETAIL section below; however, the TTM Working Capital Day chart for the largest of the seven by market cap is below. It's 'owner' should be no surprise to followers of the Greensill saga.Source for all charts &amp; tables: Japan Analytics

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Greensill, Gaming Payables & The Seven Samurai of Supply Chain Finance

Telco/Internet specialist

Kirk Boodry

Redex Research

Equity Bottom-Up

NTT (Nippon Telegraph & Telephone) / Equity Bottom-Up

NTT senior management has been called out for entertaining Ministry of Industry Affairs and Communications (MIC, the regulator) officials at least four times over the last three years. The amounts are not obscene but they do well exceed government limits and the optics are particularly bad for both the regulator (not its first scandal) and NTT (busy shaking up the industry). That does not mean there will be any direct consequences but it does strengthen the case made by rivals <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kddi-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:639:1" rel="noopener">KDDI Corp (9433 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/softbank-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27445:1" rel="noopener">Softbank Corp (9434 JP)</a>  that regulatory proposals from NTT post the DoCoMo buy-in will need to be closely scrutinized.

NTT senior management has been called out for entertaining Ministry of Industry Affairs and Communications (MIC, the regulator) officials at least four times over the last three years. The amounts are not obscene but they do well exceed government limits and the optics are particularly bad for both the regulator (not its first scandal) and NTT (busy shaking up the industry). That does not mean there will be any direct consequences but it does strengthen the case made by rivals KDDI Corp (9433 JP) and Softbank Corp (9434 JP)  that regulatory proposals from NTT post the DoCoMo buy-in will need to be closely scrutinized. 

NTT - Illegally Entertaining Your Regulator Is a Bad Look

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. 

The following is a review of how physical retailers are progressing online and includes a unique ranking of the TOP 50 Online Retailers by sales, platforms sold on and growth.
Japanese retailers were famously behind peers in other markets to tackle e-commerce but many have caught up and become world class such as <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fast-retailing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:751:1" rel="noopener">Fast Retailing (9983 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nitori-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20386:1" rel="noopener">Nitori Holdings (9843 JP). </a>
More worrying for those lagging behind such as <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/seven-i-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1041:1" rel="noopener">Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP)</a>, estimates suggest that online will have some role in 50% of purchasing transactions by 2025.
Despite retailers' efforts, the big three online malls, Amazon, Rakuten and Yahoo! Shopping still control half of the e-commerce market for merchandise.

The following is a review of how physical retailers are progressing online and includes a unique ranking of the TOP 50 Online Retailers by sales, platforms sold on and growth.
Japanese retailers were famously behind peers in other markets to tackle e-commerce but many have caught up and become world class such as Fast Retailing (9983 JP) and Nitori Holdings (9843 JP). 
More worrying for those lagging behind such as Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP), estimates suggest that online will have some role in 50% of purchasing transactions by 2025.
Despite retailers' efforts, the big three online malls, Amazon, Rakuten and Yahoo! Shopping still control half of the e-commerce market for merchandise.

Tip of the Iceberg: Omnichannel 50% of Japan Retail in 2025

Internet Initiative Japan / Equity Bottom-Up

IIJ has fired its salvo in the pricing wars with c. 10-40% reductions in consumer mobile plans although a shift in bundle sizes could minimize the impact as subscribers are upsold. Unsurprisingly, there are no sub 1GB plans since Rakuten is giving that away but the 2GB/¥780 plan is competitive (Rak: 1-3GB for ¥980) whilst IIJ is adding tiers higher than 12GB for the first time. On the aggregate, other businesses including Enterprise Mobile are generating sufficient growth that consumer mobile erosion is unlikely to have a material impact on consolidated numbers. Meanwhile, an impending announcement of mobile wholesale rates for FY20 is meaningful especially if costs are less than expected.

IIJ has fired its salvo in the pricing wars with c. 10-40% reductions in consumer mobile plans although a shift in bundle sizes could minimize the impact as subscribers are upsold. Unsurprisingly, there are no sub 1GB plans since Rakuten is giving that away but the 2GB/¥780 plan is competitive (Rak: 1-3GB for ¥980) whilst IIJ is adding tiers higher than 12GB for the first time. On the aggregate, other businesses including Enterprise Mobile are generating sufficient growth that consumer mobile erosion is unlikely to have a material impact on consolidated numbers. Meanwhile, an impending announcement of mobile wholesale rates for FY20 is meaningful especially if costs are less than expected. 

Internet Initiative Japan - New Pricing Plans Are Competitive and Impact Is Manageable

NTT posted Q3 20 results modestly ahead of consensus and boosted the FY20 dividend by 5% in the first quarterly report since it bought out the DoCoMo minority stake. The importance of having closer ties between the mobile and fixed-line operations was highlighted by record growth in its local exchange subsidiaries (+4% for a combined NTT East/West) driven we think by telework demand. One sign of this is the sale of wholesale fiber lines outside mobile resale was the highest it has been since Q1 16. DoCoMo results were also solid with mobile service revenue flat YoY and the highest net sub growth since Q4 18.

NTT posted Q3 20 results modestly ahead of consensus and boosted the FY20 dividend by 5% in the first quarterly report since it bought out the DoCoMo minority stake. The importance of having closer ties between the mobile and fixed-line operations was highlighted by record growth in its local exchange subsidiaries (+4% for a combined NTT East/West) driven we think by telework demand. One sign of this is the sale of wholesale fiber lines outside mobile resale was the highest it has been since Q1 16. DoCoMo results were also solid with mobile service revenue flat YoY and the highest net sub growth since Q4 18.  

NTT Q3 20 Results: Dividend Raise as Fixed-Line and Domestic Businesses Are Steady

Japan

KDDI CORPORATION provides mobile communication services and sells mobile devices.  The Company also is a broadband provider.

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KDDI Corp (9433 JP)

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Greensill, Gaming Payables & The Seven Samurai of Supply Chain Finance

As part of the fallout from Greensill Capital's collapse, much has been made of the risks involved in supply chain finance and the accounting...

Campbell Gunn

NTT - Illegally Entertaining Your Regulator Is a Bad Look

NTT management has been called out for illegally entertaining regulatory officials. There is probably little direct consequence but it is a bad look

Kirk Boodry

Tip of the Iceberg: Omnichannel 50% of Japan Retail in 2025

We have compiled a unique ranking of the top 50 E-commerce retailers in Japan and provide an analysis of winners and losers among retailers now and...

Michael Causton

Internet Initiative Japan - New Pricing Plans Are Competitive and Impact Is Manageable

IIJ's new consumer mobile pricing plans are competitive with Rakuten and the financial impact on consolidated results should be immaterial

Kirk Boodry

NTT Q3 20 Results: Dividend Raise as Fixed-Line and Domestic Businesses Are Steady

NTT posted steady Q3 results with evidence of progress on the fixed line from higher demand for telework solutions. It kept full-year guidance...

Kirk Boodry

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