Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Douglas Research Advisory

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>“In the next 50 years... we won’t give a thought to selling those [Japanese trading companies].... Japan’s record has been extraordinary.” (Warren Buffett)</li>
<li>In this insight, we provide detailed comparisons of the five major Japanese trading companies and five major Korean holdcos/trading companies. </li>
<li>Japanese trading companies have higher points for market cap, ROE, DPS increase, and shares cancellation. Korean holdcos have higher points for dividend yield, debt/equity ratio, ROIC, and valuations. </li>
</ul>


“In the next 50 years... we won’t give a thought to selling those [Japanese trading companies].... Japan’s record has been extraordinary.” (Warren Buffett)
In this insight, we provide detailed comparisons of the five major Japanese trading companies and five major Korean holdcos/trading companies. 
Japanese trading companies have higher points for market cap, ROE, DPS increase, and shares cancellation. Korean holdcos have higher points for dividend yield, debt/equity ratio, ROIC, and valuations. 


Shareholder Returns of Japanese Trading Companies Invested By Buffett Vs Top Korean Trading/Holdcos

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.

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>I’m focusing on the price action of LG Corp when LG CNS enters the KOSPI 200 IT sector, causing LG Corp to be removed from the index.</li>
<li>With LG Corp's 6% weight, its removal could trigger ETF rebalancing (TIGER), leading to an outflow exceeding twice the usual daily trading volume.</li>
<li>If LG CNS misses Fast Entry, it’ll enter in December, not June. We’ll time our short position on LG Corp to align with passive outflows during that window.</li>
</ul>


I’m focusing on the price action of LG Corp when LG CNS enters the KOSPI 200 IT sector, causing LG Corp to be removed from the index.
With LG Corp's 6% weight, its removal could trigger ETF rebalancing (TIGER), leading to an outflow exceeding twice the usual daily trading volume.
If LG CNS misses Fast Entry, it’ll enter in December, not June. We’ll time our short position on LG Corp to align with passive outflows during that window.


The Unexpected Passive Trade from the LG CNS IPO: Short LG Corp

<ul>
<li>On 6 January, LG Corp announced that it plans to purchase 250 billion won worth of LG Electronics and LG Chem from 6 January to 7 March 2025.</li>
<li>The share buybacks would represent 1.5% and 0.7% of LG Chem and LG Electronics' market cap, respectively.</li>
<li>Our base case NAV valuation analysis of LG Corp suggests implied NAV of 14.7 trillion won or NAV per share of 93,430 won, which is 25% higher than current price.</li>
</ul>


On 6 January, LG Corp announced that it plans to purchase 250 billion won worth of LG Electronics and LG Chem from 6 January to 7 March 2025.
The share buybacks would represent 1.5% and 0.7% of LG Chem and LG Electronics' market cap, respectively.
Our base case NAV valuation analysis of LG Corp suggests implied NAV of 14.7 trillion won or NAV per share of 93,430 won, which is 25% higher than current price.


LG Corp Plans to Buy 250 Billion Won of LG Chem and LG Electronics + 2 Major LG Group IPOs in 2025

<ul>
<li>In this insight, we provide the major highlights of the solid Corporate Value Up plan announced by LG Corp on 22 November. </li>
<li>The key highlights include about 500 billion won worth of share cancellation by 2026, improved dividend policy, and higher ROE target.</li>
<li>Our base case NAV valuation analysis of LG Corp suggests implied NAV of 16.1 trillion won or NAV per share of 102,426 won, which is 33.4% higher than current price.</li>
</ul>


In this insight, we provide the major highlights of the solid Corporate Value Up plan announced by LG Corp on 22 November. 
The key highlights include about 500 billion won worth of share cancellation by 2026, improved dividend policy, and higher ROE target.
Our base case NAV valuation analysis of LG Corp suggests implied NAV of 16.1 trillion won or NAV per share of 102,426 won, which is 33.4% higher than current price.


LG Corp: Key Highlights from Its Corporate Value-Up Plan and Updated NAV Valuation

<ul>
<li>Three key catalysts for LG Corp include potential inclusion in Korea Value Up Index, an IPO of LG CNS in 1Q 2025, and an increasing probability of higher shareholder returns. </li>
<li>An IPO of LG CNS is likely in 1Q 2025. LG CNS is currently valued at about 7 trillion won and LG Corp has a 50% stake. </li>
<li>Our base case NAV valuation analysis of LG Corp suggests implied NAV of 15.3 trillion won or NAV per share of 96,957 won, which is 19.8% higher than current price.</li>
</ul>


Three key catalysts for LG Corp include potential inclusion in Korea Value Up Index, an IPO of LG CNS in 1Q 2025, and an increasing probability of higher shareholder returns. 
An IPO of LG CNS is likely in 1Q 2025. LG CNS is currently valued at about 7 trillion won and LG Corp has a 50% stake. 
Our base case NAV valuation analysis of LG Corp suggests implied NAV of 15.3 trillion won or NAV per share of 96,957 won, which is 19.8% higher than current price.


LG Corp: Three Key Catalysts + NAV Valuation

South Korea

LG Corp. is a holding company, which operates subsidiaries including LG Electronics, LG Household & Health Care, LG Chem Ltd., and Dacom Corp. The Company's main business areas are electronics, chemicals, and household products manufacturing and telecommunications services.

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LG Corp (003550 KS)

Shareholder Returns of Japanese Trading Companies Invested By Buffett Vs Top Korean Trading/Holdcos

In this insight, we provide detailed comparisons of the five major Japanese trading companies and five major Korean holdcos/trading companies.

Douglas Kim

The Unexpected Passive Trade from the LG CNS IPO: Short LG Corp

This post dives into the unexpected passive trading play triggered by the LG CNS IPO, highlighting the potential short opportunity on LG Corp as a...

Sanghyun Park

LG Corp Plans to Buy 250 Billion Won of LG Chem and LG Electronics + 2 Major LG Group IPOs in 2025

On 6 January, LG Corp announced that it plans to purchase 250 billion won worth of LG Electronics and LG Chem from 6 January to 7 March 2025.

Douglas Kim

LG Corp: Key Highlights from Its Corporate Value-Up Plan and Updated NAV Valuation

The key highlights of LG Corp's Corporate Value Up plan include about 500 billion won worth of share cancellation by 2026, improved dividend...

Douglas Kim

LG Corp: Three Key Catalysts + NAV Valuation

Three key catalysts for LG Corp include potential inclusion in Korea Value Up Index, an IPO of LG CNS in 1Q 2025, and an increasing probability of...

Douglas Kim

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