'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)

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/125/809/original/2020-04-01_05-33-05.png?1585686825" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="125809"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div>TUESDAY 31st MARCH - Shareholder returns are now being sacrificed to shore up corporate cash flows in Japan. Yesterday saw<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nippon-sheet-glass-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9013:1" rel="noopener">Nippon Sheet Glass (5202 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nextgen-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20914:1" rel="noopener">Nextgen (3842 JP)</a> cancel their payouts, and reductions from <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shinsho-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6333:1" rel="noopener">Shinsho (8075 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hakuto-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6207:1" rel="noopener">Hakuto (7433 JP)</a>, and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nipro-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18346:1" rel="noopener">Nipro (8086 JP)</a>. Nipro has 'form' in this regard, but it is interesting to note that 2020's payout will be less than the ¥16 paid in 2009. We shall be covering the topic of "Dividends at Risk" in a forthcoming Insight. There were no large-cap results or revisions yesterday, but our scoring was five positive to six negative for results and eight positive to eleven negative for revisions.<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/125/811/original/2020-04-01_05-56-47.png?1585688222" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="125811"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Japan Analytics</div><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mitsubishi-ufj-financial-gro" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:218:1" rel="noopener">Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (8306 JP)</a> - MUFG chooses not to make forecasts, so we are reliant on Nikkei 'previews' for 'updates'. A ¥360b (US$3.34b) writedown of MUFG's stake in banks in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines is to be booked for the fiscal year that ended yesterday. MUFG shares fell 5.4%, and Banks was the worst-performing Sector on the day. <figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/125/814/original/File%202020-04-01%206%2010%2027.jpeg?1585689079" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="125814"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • covid19japan.com</div>LOCKDOWN CORNER - By emphatically denying rumours of an impending 'lockdown' for Tokyo from tomorrow, the Government has limited their options for doing so without loss of credibility with the public. A rumour that Google Japan was suppressing searches about the rumour only helped to fan the flames and anxiety. Panic-buying re-emerged in grocery stores.  COVID-19 cases in Tokyo are now growing at an exponential rate, eclipsing the rest of Japan, with the majority of new cases are not conforming to Japan's pre-ordained epidemiological tracing protocols. Governor Koike held an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Abe last night. While the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is encouraging social distancing, only the national government can invoke stricter measures under the recently-enacted emergency laws. The current uncertainty over the Tokyo lockdown is not market-positive. <figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/125/820/original/2020-04-01_05-07-12.png?1585690885" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="125820"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source • Deutsche Bank</div>HISTORIC - Deutsche Bank has estimated that COVID-19 will result in a year-on-year economic contraction of 3.9%, lower than that of 2009. Were Tokyo to lockdown for a month, the 2009 decline would probably be exceeded.

Source • Japan AnalyticsTUESDAY 31st MARCH - Shareholder returns are now being sacrificed to shore up corporate cash flows in Japan. Yesterday sawNippon Sheet Glass (5202 JP) and Nextgen (3842 JP) cancel their payouts, and reductions from Shinsho (8075 JP), Hakuto (7433 JP), and Nipro (8086 JP). Nipro has 'form' in this regard, but it is interesting to note that 2020's payout will be less than the ¥16 paid in 2009. We shall be covering the topic of "Dividends at Risk" in a forthcoming Insight. There were no large-cap results or revisions yesterday, but our scoring was five positive to six negative for results and eight positive to eleven negative for revisions.Source • Japan AnalyticsMitsubishi UFJ Financial (8306 JP) - MUFG chooses not to make forecasts, so we are reliant on Nikkei 'previews' for 'updates'. A ¥360b (US$3.34b) writedown of MUFG's stake in banks in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines is to be booked for the fiscal year that ended yesterday. MUFG shares fell 5.4%, and Banks was the worst-performing Sector on the day. Source • covid19japan.comLOCKDOWN CORNER - By emphatically denying rumours of an impending 'lockdown' for Tokyo from tomorrow, the Government has limited their options for doing so without loss of credibility with the public. A rumour that Google Japan was suppressing searches about the rumour only helped to fan the flames and anxiety. Panic-buying re-emerged in grocery stores.  COVID-19 cases in Tokyo are now growing at an exponential rate, eclipsing the rest of Japan, with the majority of new cases are not conforming to Japan's pre-ordained epidemiological tracing protocols. Governor Koike held an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Abe last night. While the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is encouraging social distancing, only the national government can invoke stricter measures under the recently-enacted emergency laws. The current uncertainty over the Tokyo lockdown is not market-positive. Source • Deutsche BankHISTORIC - Deutsche Bank has estimated that COVID-19 will result in a year-on-year economic contraction of 3.9%, lower than that of 2009. Were Tokyo to lockdown for a month, the 2009 decline would probably be exceeded.

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results Update 31st March > Dividends at Risk

Silver Point

Thomas J. Monaco

Independent Insight Provider

Silver Point is a boutique research firm that focuses on the broader financial services sector, with a particular focus on troubled institutions globally. 

Asia Ex Japan

Equity Bottom-Up

* Large Debt Levels: SoftBank Group (SoftBank) is a Death Star for credit markets, having greater than USD 250 bn in debt, commitments, and lease obligations, and Japan’s three largest banks already hold about USD 13 bn in SoftBank debt on balance sheet at FY 3/19;  * Credit Downgrade to Junk Inevitable: A credit downgrade will require higher capital charges.  Manageable in isolation; however, given the herd mentality risks, the worst case scenario (SoftBank filing) is certainly a plausible outcome. Softbank is just another example of top-of-the-cycle activism which was all about replacing one form of financial engineering with another without creating real value; and   * WeWorks Bankruptcy On The Table: The April 1 USD 3bn financing round from Softbank is now in danger of falling apart, as Softbank appears to be using the US investigation as an out clause. WeWorks board already weighing litigation. Softbank has guided to already having provided USD $13.4 bn to WeWorks, including USD 5 bn in working capital since October 2019. In our view, WeWorks is likely to file bankruptcy sometime in 1H20 as tenants simply will not/cannot  pay rent.

* Large Debt Levels: SoftBank Group (SoftBank) is a Death Star for credit markets, having greater than USD 250 bn in debt, commitments, and lease obligations, and Japan’s three largest banks already hold about USD 13 bn in SoftBank debt on balance sheet at FY 3/19;  * Credit Downgrade to Junk Inevitable: A credit downgrade will require higher capital charges.  Manageable in isolation; however, given the herd mentality risks, the worst case scenario (SoftBank filing) is certainly a plausible outcome. Softbank is just another example of top-of-the-cycle activism which was all about replacing one form of financial engineering with another without creating real value; and   * WeWorks Bankruptcy On The Table: The April 1 USD 3bn financing round from Softbank is now in danger of falling apart, as Softbank appears to be using the US investigation as an out clause. WeWorks board already weighing litigation. Softbank has guided to already having provided USD $13.4 bn to WeWorks, including USD 5 bn in working capital since October 2019. In our view, WeWorks is likely to file bankruptcy sometime in 1H20 as tenants simply will not/cannot  pay rent. 

Senior Bank Analyst - Japanese Banks, Windamee Research

J. Brian Waterhouse

Senior Bank Analyst - Japanese Banks

Windamee Research

Japanese Banks

Last week was an extraordinarily volatile period for Japanese bank stocks, with the sector rising around 14% after a protracted period of negative performance.  Some regional bank stocks rose as much as 35% for the week, while even the mighty megabank <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mitsubishi-ufj-financial-gro" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:218:1">Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MUFG) (8306 JP)</a> rose an eyebrow-raising 17%.  Regrettably, this is not evidence of a paradigm shift in the Japanese banking sector’s fundamental outlook, but more like a knee-jerk reaction to the Bank of Japan’s efforts to restore order to the somewhat chaotic financial markets through buying ETFs, perhaps aided – if financial media are to be believed  –  by government-owned pension funds such as the GPIF.The Yen has not weakened against the US Dollar, as one might have expected if international investors had been adopting a ‘risk on’ approach, but has failed several times to break though the Y112 level (as noted recently by Smartkarma contributor <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/campbell-gunn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:2531">Campbell Gunn</a>) and is now in sharp retreat: a ‘risk off’ reaction.  This is not good news for Japanese financial stocks.The fundamental outlook for Japan’s banks has not improved: if anything, the outlook for FY3/2021 and beyond is now even more challenging than FY3/2020 has been.  As we have frequently pointed out in past Insights, margins remain under downward pressure generally, many regional banks remain underwater on their core domestic businesses, credit costs are rising across the board for all banks and many may face substantial losses on their investment portfolios as they close their accounts for FY3/2020.  Under the circumstances, the recent strength in Japanese bank stock prices is logically unsustainable without further massive intervention by the Japanese financial authorities and the further disruption of price discovery.Japanese banks have underperformed Topix virtually unchecked since 2015.  We expect this trend to continue.  “Caveat Emptor!”  (May the Buyer Beware) remains our advice to would-be investors in Japanese bank stocks for FY3/2021 and beyond.

Last week was an extraordinarily volatile period for Japanese bank stocks, with the sector rising around 14% after a protracted period of negative performance.  Some regional bank stocks rose as much as 35% for the week, while even the mighty megabank Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MUFG) (8306 JP) rose an eyebrow-raising 17%.  Regrettably, this is not evidence of a paradigm shift in the Japanese banking sector’s fundamental outlook, but more like a knee-jerk reaction to the Bank of Japan’s efforts to restore order to the somewhat chaotic financial markets through buying ETFs, perhaps aided – if financial media are to be believed  –  by government-owned pension funds such as the GPIF.The Yen has not weakened against the US Dollar, as one might have expected if international investors had been adopting a ‘risk on’ approach, but has failed several times to break though the Y112 level (as noted recently by Smartkarma contributor Campbell Gunn) and is now in sharp retreat: a ‘risk off’ reaction.  This is not good news for Japanese financial stocks.The fundamental outlook for Japan’s banks has not improved: if anything, the outlook for FY3/2021 and beyond is now even more challenging than FY3/2020 has been.  As we have frequently pointed out in past Insights, margins remain under downward pressure generally, many regional banks remain underwater on their core domestic businesses, credit costs are rising across the board for all banks and many may face substantial losses on their investment portfolios as they close their accounts for FY3/2020.  Under the circumstances, the recent strength in Japanese bank stock prices is logically unsustainable without further massive intervention by the Japanese financial authorities and the further disruption of price discovery.Japanese banks have underperformed Topix virtually unchecked since 2015.  We expect this trend to continue.  “Caveat Emptor!”  (May the Buyer Beware) remains our advice to would-be investors in Japanese bank stocks for FY3/2021 and beyond.

<ul>
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">
Darkest Hour Ahead: The US is entering its darkest hour with the dumb college kids at spring break being the tipping point for community spread and national guard call-up.</li>
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> Financial and Sovereign Crises Underway: The safest credit markets are not properly functioning, and the symbiotic relationship between European financials and the sovereigns which is pressuring sovereign CDS spreads. With Eurozone firewalls already breached, the two Trojan horses of counterparty risk and a challenged corporate bond market (ratings agency risk and waterfall risks due to cascading BBB and B3 corporates) embedded within the “well-capitalized” US banking system are now causing systemic wobbles. </li>
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> Equity Unravel Set to Continue: QE6 is not going to stop the equity market bleeding. Quant Funds are every bit as vulnerable as active management in times of stress. Risk Parity Funds have declined in size from USD 600 bn in February 2020 to USD 250 bn as at March 18, 2020. US brokers/investment banks for aggressively lending on margin to high net worth (HNW)/retail investors. Margin to the average retail client is up to 50% of the market value of their securities and are quite willing to lend up to 70% of the market value of a client's investment portfolio for the purchase of real estate - owner-occupied or on speculation.</li>
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
QE7 Is Not Far Behind:Beyond bailing out Boeing (BA.US) which is a national security priority, there will clearly be an all-time record handout coming with TARP 2. In addition, the FRB expects to announce the establishment of a Main Street Business Lending Program to support lending to eligible small-and-medium sized businesses, complementing efforts by the SBA. </li>
</ul>



Darkest Hour Ahead: The US is entering its darkest hour with the dumb college kids at spring break being the tipping point for community spread and national guard call-up.
 Financial and Sovereign Crises Underway: The safest credit markets are not properly functioning, and the symbiotic relationship between European financials and the sovereigns which is pressuring sovereign CDS spreads. With Eurozone firewalls already breached, the two Trojan horses of counterparty risk and a challenged corporate bond market (ratings agency risk and waterfall risks due to cascading BBB and B3 corporates) embedded within the “well-capitalized” US banking system are now causing systemic wobbles. 
 Equity Unravel Set to Continue: QE6 is not going to stop the equity market bleeding. Quant Funds are every bit as vulnerable as active management in times of stress. Risk Parity Funds have declined in size from USD 600 bn in February 2020 to USD 250 bn as at March 18, 2020. US brokers/investment banks for aggressively lending on margin to high net worth (HNW)/retail investors. Margin to the average retail client is up to 50% of the market value of their securities and are quite willing to lend up to 70% of the market value of a client's investment portfolio for the purchase of real estate - owner-occupied or on speculation.

QE7 Is Not Far Behind:Beyond bailing out Boeing (BA.US) which is a national security priority, there will clearly be an all-time record handout coming with TARP 2. In addition, the FRB expects to announce the establishment of a Main Street Business Lending Program to support lending to eligible small-and-medium sized businesses, complementing efforts by the SBA. 


Bank For Investment And Deve / Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
One For the Ages: The Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BID.VN) [BIDV] held a somewhat delusional 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM). In February 2020, BIDV became the 12th bank to clear its balance due to the VAMC, just as credit quality is likely to take a massive turn for the worse. No doubt it will be hitting up the VAMC for more bonds near-term. To that end, BIDV has already committed to expand its loan bailout to VND 120 tn. BIDV was unfortunately among the Basel II non-compliant despite the sale of a 15% stake to KEB Hana Bank (086790.KS). 2020 forecasts are in the stratosphere and need to come back to earth.</li>
<li>
Reality Check Needed For Vietnam: Fitch Ratings (Fitch) recently lowered Vietnam’s GDP growth to 6.3% from 6.8% in 2020. Given the symbiotic economic relationship between mainland China and Vietnam, we find the Fitch’s GDP growth forecast to be incredibly generous as crisis conditions typically suggest negative GDP growth. The IV Board survey revealed that nearly 30% surveyed had lost between 20-50% of revenues associated with the corona virus, while 60% had lost revenues by over half.  It also suggested that six months of this economic weakness could lead to 74% of surveyed companies to become bankrupt.</li>
<li>
Liquidity Wall: Vietnam is running into a liquidity wall. The sovereign has a high level of public debt (near its 65% debt/GDP cap) – and now growing - which constrains spending while the banking system (as it converts over to the more stringent Basel II capital regime) remains saddled with troubled debt which too has reversed its downward trend - resulting in systemic balance sheet and liquidity constraints.</li>
</ul>



One For the Ages: The Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BID.VN) [BIDV] held a somewhat delusional 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM). In February 2020, BIDV became the 12th bank to clear its balance due to the VAMC, just as credit quality is likely to take a massive turn for the worse. No doubt it will be hitting up the VAMC for more bonds near-term. To that end, BIDV has already committed to expand its loan bailout to VND 120 tn. BIDV was unfortunately among the Basel II non-compliant despite the sale of a 15% stake to KEB Hana Bank (086790.KS). 2020 forecasts are in the stratosphere and need to come back to earth.

Reality Check Needed For Vietnam: Fitch Ratings (Fitch) recently lowered Vietnam’s GDP growth to 6.3% from 6.8% in 2020. Given the symbiotic economic relationship between mainland China and Vietnam, we find the Fitch’s GDP growth forecast to be incredibly generous as crisis conditions typically suggest negative GDP growth. The IV Board survey revealed that nearly 30% surveyed had lost between 20-50% of revenues associated with the corona virus, while 60% had lost revenues by over half.  It also suggested that six months of this economic weakness could lead to 74% of surveyed companies to become bankrupt.

Liquidity Wall: Vietnam is running into a liquidity wall. The sovereign has a high level of public debt (near its 65% debt/GDP cap) – and now growing - which constrains spending while the banking system (as it converts over to the more stringent Basel II capital regime) remains saddled with troubled debt which too has reversed its downward trend - resulting in systemic balance sheet and liquidity constraints.


BIDV – KEB Hana Has To Be Kicking Itself Now

Japan

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is a holding company established through the merger of Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group and UFJ Holdings. As a financial group, the Company provides a variety of financial and investment services including commercial banking, trust banking, international finance, and assets management services.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MUFG) (8306 JP)

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Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MUFG) (8306 JP)

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Revisions & Results Update 31st March > Dividends at Risk

TUESDAY 31st MARCH - Shareholder returns are now being sacrificed to shore up corporate cash flows in Japan. Yesterday sawNippon Sheet Glass (5202...

Campbell Gunn

SoftBank Group - Nothing Works

* Large Debt Levels: SoftBank Group (SoftBank) is a Death Star for credit markets, having greater than USD 250 bn in debt, commitments, and lease...

Thomas J. Monaco

Japanese Banks: End of March Blues

Last week was an extraordinarily volatile period for Japanese bank stocks, with the sector rising around 14% after a protracted period of negative...

J. Brian Waterhouse

QE6 – To Infinity and Beyond

Darkest Hour Ahead: The US is entering its darkest hour with the dumb college kids at spring break being the tipping point for community spread...

Thomas J. Monaco

BIDV – KEB Hana Has To Be Kicking Itself Now

One For the Ages: The Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BID.VN) [BIDV] held a somewhat delusional 2020 Annual General Meeting...

Thomas J. Monaco

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