Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<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> investors are in a conundrum. The stock is doing well. With one quarter to go, the company just raised its full-year EPS target by 8.3%.</li>
<li>It also raised its H2 dividend by 20+% so the full-year div will be more than 20% higher than previously forecast and up 35+% since last year. All good. </li>
<li>Except for the selling. Potentially lots of selling. And more outperformance begets more selling. Then even more selling in 2024. And 2025? What about 2025? More outperformance begets more selling.</li>
</ul>



Fast Retailing (9983 JP) investors are in a conundrum. The stock is doing well. With one quarter to go, the company just raised its full-year EPS target by 8.3%.
It also raised its H2 dividend by 20+% so the full-year div will be more than 20% higher than previously forecast and up 35+% since last year. All good. 
Except for the selling. Potentially lots of selling. And more outperformance begets more selling. Then even more selling in 2024. And 2025? What about 2025? More outperformance begets more selling.


Fast Retailing UPs Forecasts, Which Creates A Sell/Short Opportunity

Senior Technology Analyst, Japanese Equities, LightStream Research

Scott Foster

Senior Technology Analyst, Japanese Equities

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

<ul>
<li>Applied Materials' new Sculpta pattern-shaping tool could greatly reduce demand for EUV mask inspection on a medium- to long-term view. High-NA EUV is likely to do the same.</li>
<li>Lasertec's high valuations are predicated on a multi-year high growth trajectory. That trajectory is now being called into question. </li>
<li>We have cut our FY Jun-25 profit forecast by 32%, but the projected P/E ratio is still 40x. More downside ahead.</li>
</ul>


Applied Materials' new Sculpta pattern-shaping tool could greatly reduce demand for EUV mask inspection on a medium- to long-term view. High-NA EUV is likely to do the same.
Lasertec's high valuations are predicated on a multi-year high growth trajectory. That trajectory is now being called into question. 
We have cut our FY Jun-25 profit forecast by 32%, but the projected P/E ratio is still 40x. More downside ahead.


Lasertec (6920 JP): Negative Potential of Sculpta Not in the Price

<ul>
<li>The share price has bounced back on strong 3Q orders and long-term optimism, but weak 4Q guidance calls the growth trajectory into question.</li>
<li>Guidance, which has sales dropping to about half what they were a year earlier, is based on the expected timing of customer acceptance of delivered equipment. It could be conservative.</li>
<li>At 75X EPS guidance for FY Jun-24, a rate of growth not visible in current trends has already been discounted. Current orders should translate into sales in 2026.</li>
</ul>


The share price has bounced back on strong 3Q orders and long-term optimism, but weak 4Q guidance calls the growth trajectory into question.
Guidance, which has sales dropping to about half what they were a year earlier, is based on the expected timing of customer acceptance of delivered equipment. It could be conservative.
At 75X EPS guidance for FY Jun-24, a rate of growth not visible in current trends has already been discounted. Current orders should translate into sales in 2026.


Lasertec (6920 JP): Orders Up, Guidance Down

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>Today after the close, there was word of an Accelerated Block Offering by two banks on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lasertec-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4126:1" rel="noopener">Lasertec Corp (6920 JP)</a>, selling ¥61+bn or US$425mm of shares.  </li>
<li>The Nikkei 225 hit a new 34-year high today, and this caused some tech stocks and high-weights to perform very well vs their peers. </li>
<li>This should cause the deal to get taken up easily. HOWEVER, it pays to know where the stock is. The register isn't what volume tells you it might be.</li>
</ul>


Today after the close, there was word of an Accelerated Block Offering by two banks on Lasertec Corp (6920 JP), selling ¥61+bn or US$425mm of shares.  
The Nikkei 225 hit a new 34-year high today, and this caused some tech stocks and high-weights to perform very well vs their peers. 
This should cause the deal to get taken up easily. HOWEVER, it pays to know where the stock is. The register isn't what volume tells you it might be.


Lasertec (6920) Accelerated Block Offering - ¥60bn Likely Easily Taken Up

APAC IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Clarence Chu

APAC 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.

<ul>
<li>MUFG Bank and Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking are looking to raise around US$425m from selling their respective stakes in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lasertec-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4126:1" rel="noopener">Lasertec Corp (6920 JP)</a>.</li>
<li>Given the strong momentum on the stock, combined with the wave of shareholders ending their cross-shareholdings in Japan, we would argue that the deal is somewhat expected.</li>
<li>Despite the remaining overhang on the stock, the deal would be easily digested by the market as well, representing just 0.14 days of the firm’s three month ADV.</li>
</ul>


MUFG Bank and Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking are looking to raise around US$425m from selling their respective stakes in Lasertec Corp (6920 JP).
Given the strong momentum on the stock, combined with the wave of shareholders ending their cross-shareholdings in Japan, we would argue that the deal is somewhat expected.
Despite the remaining overhang on the stock, the deal would be easily digested by the market as well, representing just 0.14 days of the firm’s three month ADV.


Lasertec Placement - Opportunistic Selldown Will Be Easily Digested by the Market

Japan

Lasertec Corporation develops, designs, manufactures and markets photomask inspection systems to make semiconductor devices, confocal scanning laser microscopes and liquid crystal display (LCD) inspection systems.

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Lasertec Corp (6920 JP)

Fast Retailing UPs Forecasts, Which Creates A Sell/Short Opportunity

Fast Retailing announced decent earnings for Q3 and upgraded forecasts for August 2023. It also raised its full-year dividend vs previous guidance....

Travis Lundy

Lasertec (6920 JP): Negative Potential of Sculpta Not in the Price

Potential negative impact of AMAT's Sculpta pattern-shaping tool not yet discounted. High-NA EUV also negative for Lasertec. Forecast cut, but FY...

Scott Foster

Lasertec (6920 JP): Orders Up, Guidance Down

Orders up in Q3 to a good but not outstanding level. Q4 guidance for a sharp decline in sales and profit based on expected timing of customer...

Scott Foster

Lasertec (6920) Accelerated Block Offering - ¥60bn Likely Easily Taken Up

After the close today, a block offering in Lasertec was announced. It's 2% of shares from two bank cross-holders. 1.8mm shares so 0.2x ADV at a 3%...

Travis Lundy

Lasertec Placement - Opportunistic Selldown Will Be Easily Digested by the Market

MUFG Bank and Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking are looking to raise around US$425m from selling their respective stakes in Lasertec Corp (6920 JP).

Clarence Chu

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