Global Special Situations & Strategy, SR Services Ltd

David Lepper

Global Special Situations & Strategy

SR Services Ltd

SR Services provides Strategic Knowledge and Solutions services for Family Offices and Corporate Business. 

We deliver this via advisory services, strategic planning, opportunity analysis/sourcing, as well as solution implementation. 

Whilst, we create intellectual discipline and operational leverage for your projects or daily activities, our ultimate objective is to empower whilst enhancing your decision making. 

Strategic Knowledge and Solutions

Cross Asset Strategy

Q3 delivered marked underperformanceOur Q3-2020 Small-Mid Cap High-Risk list of stocks produced an average price increase of 0.3%. In comparison, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index posted an increase of 6.3% over the same period. 15 stocks appear in our Q4 2020 screen, versus 21 in Q3 2020. As we highlighted in the previous three quarters, we are specifically on the watch for the risk of deteriorating credit metrics during 2020. This screen presents names which are worthy of investigation as they present with fundamentals which are at risk.

Q3 delivered marked underperformanceOur Q3-2020 Small-Mid Cap High-Risk list of stocks produced an average price increase of 0.3%. In comparison, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index posted an increase of 6.3% over the same period. 15 stocks appear in our Q4 2020 screen, versus 21 in Q3 2020. As we highlighted in the previous three quarters, we are specifically on the watch for the risk of deteriorating credit metrics during 2020. This screen presents names which are worthy of investigation as they present with fundamentals which are at risk.

Screening the Silk Road: Q4 2020 High Risk Names to Avoid

'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)

• BEST &amp; WORST •Our best and worst pair from yesterday is <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hirose-electric-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13513:1" rel="noopener">Hirose Electric (6806 JP)</a> with a 41% upward revision to interim operating income, and leisure and travel conglomerate <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/seibu-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:458:1" rel="noopener">Seibu (9024 JP)</a> which revised down both for the interim and full-year, the latter scoring a maximum negative -30.<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/161/651/original/2020-09-25_06-15-33.png?1600982296" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="161651"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/161/652/original/2020-09-25_06-14-28.png?1600982419" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="161652"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source for all charts &amp; tables: Japan Analytics</div>DAILY STATS <figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/161/650/original/2020-09-25_06-07-47.png?1600981686" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="161650"></figure><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/oracle-corp-japan" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:16787:1" rel="noopener">Oracle Japan (4716 JP)</a>- Seasonally, the first quarter is the low point of Oracle's annual cycle following the fourth quarter high. This first quarter was unusually subdued as revenue growth was flat for the second quarter in a row. As revenues slow to a single-digit pace, the company has focused on cost reductions, resulting in a Q1 year-on-year 50bps operating margin improvement. OJ is becoming more of an annuity. As such and noting the ¥225b in Net Financial Assets on the Balance Sheet and no debt, it is time for another extraordinary dividend.<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/161/653/original/2020-09-25_06-29-09.png?1600982967" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="161653"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/161/654/original/2020-09-25_06-28-42.png?1600983014" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="161654"></figure><figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/161/655/original/2020-09-25_06-33-14.png?1600983265" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="161655"></figure><hr><div>
 12 Annual • 13 Interim Forecasts/Revisions
The trend in forecasts and revisions has turned down again - only four of 25 announcements made yesterday scored positively and the average score change was -11: -
</div><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Annual Forecast/Revision Score: 17% Positive / 0% Neutral / 83% Negative</li>
<li>Interim Forecast/Revision Score Change: 15% Positive / 8% Neutral / 77% Negative</li>
<li>Average Forecast/Revision Score Change: -11.2 points</li>
</ul></div>

• BEST &amp; WORST •Our best and worst pair from yesterday is Hirose Electric (6806 JP) with a 41% upward revision to interim operating income, and leisure and travel conglomerate Seibu (9024 JP) which revised down both for the interim and full-year, the latter scoring a maximum negative -30.Source for all charts &amp; tables: Japan AnalyticsDAILY STATS Oracle Japan (4716 JP)- Seasonally, the first quarter is the low point of Oracle's annual cycle following the fourth quarter high. This first quarter was unusually subdued as revenue growth was flat for the second quarter in a row. As revenues slow to a single-digit pace, the company has focused on cost reductions, resulting in a Q1 year-on-year 50bps operating margin improvement. OJ is becoming more of an annuity. As such and noting the ¥225b in Net Financial Assets on the Balance Sheet and no debt, it is time for another extraordinary dividend.
 12 Annual • 13 Interim Forecasts/Revisions
The trend in forecasts and revisions has turned down again - only four of 25 announcements made yesterday scored positively and the average score change was -11: -

Annual Forecast/Revision Score: 17% Positive / 0% Neutral / 83% Negative
Interim Forecast/Revision Score Change: 15% Positive / 8% Neutral / 77% Negative
Average Forecast/Revision Score Change: -11.2 points


🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 09/​​​​​​​​​​​​24 - A Quieter Oracle, Hirose, Shippers, NGK, Seibu

Time to remove the upper market cap limit as risk increases.<ul>
<li>
Our screen from this quarter onwards is for all stocks<a href="applewebdata://17FB2464-550F-48C5-BBBA-E248B1412D29#_ftn1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">[1]</a> above a market capitalisation of US$500m as we now encounter possibly one of the riskier periods in our market history. With this in mind, we have removed our Small-Mid Cap focus (US$500m-US$10bn market capitalisation) from our screens. </li>
<li>
21 stocks appear in our Q3 2020 screen. The average stock rank in our list has maintained a ranking of 63.5 points compared to 68 in Q2 2020 placing the stocks lower in the second quartile of the market, suggesting deteriorating fundamentals and a strong possibility of lagging performance.</li>
<li>
As we highlighted in Q1, watch for the risk of deteriorating credit metrics over 2020: In Q3, the Altman Z score is at a market-cap-weighted 1.44 times, versus 1.31 in Q2. Whilst marginally improved, since earnings continue to be adjusted by analysts and there is limited visibility of their bottoming, the potential for a lower Z score in Q4 2020 and H1 2021is increased.</li>
</ul>

Time to remove the upper market cap limit as risk increases.

Our screen from this quarter onwards is for all stocks[1] above a market capitalisation of US$500m as we now encounter possibly one of the riskier periods in our market history. With this in mind, we have removed our Small-Mid Cap focus (US$500m-US$10bn market capitalisation) from our screens. 

21 stocks appear in our Q3 2020 screen. The average stock rank in our list has maintained a ranking of 63.5 points compared to 68 in Q2 2020 placing the stocks lower in the second quartile of the market, suggesting deteriorating fundamentals and a strong possibility of lagging performance.

As we highlighted in Q1, watch for the risk of deteriorating credit metrics over 2020: In Q3, the Altman Z score is at a market-cap-weighted 1.44 times, versus 1.31 in Q2. Whilst marginally improved, since earnings continue to be adjusted by analysts and there is limited visibility of their bottoming, the potential for a lower Z score in Q4 2020 and H1 2021is increased.


Screening the Silk Road: Q3 2020 High Risk Names to Avoid

<div>
<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/139/997/original/2020-06-15_11-08-56.png?1592186965" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="139997"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div>
STRESS TESTS - This Insight is the second in our Japan Stress Test series in which we endeavour to assess where business risk is concentrated among larger Japanese companies. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-stress-tests-part-1-altman-z-scores" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:40180" rel="noopener">Part 1</a> looked at the time-worn Altman-Z Score for both manufacturing and non-manufacturing companies. In Part 2 will we turn our attention to the cash flow statement starting with the 'lifeblood' of all businesses - Operating Cash Flow.
ACCRUAL ACCOUNTING - Despite the sacrosanctity in some quarters of discounted cash flow analysis, for valuation purposes, our preference is to use accrual accounting. As Professor Stephen Penman states, "Accrual accounting brings the future forward in time and anticipates future cash flows."  Nevertheless, cash flow accounting, and the level of accounting accruals, can provide early insights into periodic stress. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nissan-motor-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:72:1" rel="noopener">Nissan Motor (7201 JP)'s</a> Accruals (Operating Income less Operating Cash Flow) as a percentage of period-end market capitalisation correlate with the company's Relative Price Score over the last thirty years. Further Insights in this series will continue to 'mine'  the Cash Flow statement by exploring Financing Cash Flows and the Working Capital Cycle.
REFORMULATED CASH FLOWSTATEMENTS - Our Operating Cash Flow calculation is derived from each company's Balance Sheet and Income Statement for periods of up to twenty-eight years. Cash Flow items relating to operating activities are divided into Operating Cash Flow and Investing Cash Flow, which includes Fixed Asset and Inventory Cash Flows.  Cash flows relating to financing activities are divided into Financing Cash Flow and Shareholder Cash Flow. The reformulated Balance Sheets, Income and Cash Flow Statements follow a clean-surplus relationship. All three Statements are fully articulated to include items of Other Comprehensive Income which are added to or subtracted from Shareholders' Equity. 
</div>UNIVERSE - The universe for this Insight comprises the 614 Japanese companies with a market capitalisation excluding Treasury Stock over ¥100 million and for which we have at least two years of cash flow data.  Five non-financial companies, which have significant financial subsidiaries (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rakuten-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31:1" rel="noopener">Rakuten (4755 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/japan-post-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:359:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post (6178 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/softbank-group-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:315:1" rel="noopener">Softbank Group (9984 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sony-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:563:1" rel="noopener">Sony (6758 JP)</a>), have been excluded from this analysis.


Source: Japan Analytics
STRESS TESTS - This Insight is the second in our Japan Stress Test series in which we endeavour to assess where business risk is concentrated among larger Japanese companies. Part 1 looked at the time-worn Altman-Z Score for both manufacturing and non-manufacturing companies. In Part 2 will we turn our attention to the cash flow statement starting with the 'lifeblood' of all businesses - Operating Cash Flow.
ACCRUAL ACCOUNTING - Despite the sacrosanctity in some quarters of discounted cash flow analysis, for valuation purposes, our preference is to use accrual accounting. As Professor Stephen Penman states, "Accrual accounting brings the future forward in time and anticipates future cash flows."  Nevertheless, cash flow accounting, and the level of accounting accruals, can provide early insights into periodic stress. Nissan Motor (7201 JP)'s Accruals (Operating Income less Operating Cash Flow) as a percentage of period-end market capitalisation correlate with the company's Relative Price Score over the last thirty years. Further Insights in this series will continue to 'mine'  the Cash Flow statement by exploring Financing Cash Flows and the Working Capital Cycle.
REFORMULATED CASH FLOWSTATEMENTS - Our Operating Cash Flow calculation is derived from each company's Balance Sheet and Income Statement for periods of up to twenty-eight years. Cash Flow items relating to operating activities are divided into Operating Cash Flow and Investing Cash Flow, which includes Fixed Asset and Inventory Cash Flows.  Cash flows relating to financing activities are divided into Financing Cash Flow and Shareholder Cash Flow. The reformulated Balance Sheets, Income and Cash Flow Statements follow a clean-surplus relationship. All three Statements are fully articulated to include items of Other Comprehensive Income which are added to or subtracted from Shareholders' Equity. 
UNIVERSE - The universe for this Insight comprises the 614 Japanese companies with a market capitalisation excluding Treasury Stock over ¥100 million and for which we have at least two years of cash flow data.  Five non-financial companies, which have significant financial subsidiaries (Rakuten (4755 JP), Z Holdings (4689 JP), Japan Post (6178 JP), Softbank Group (9984 JP) and Sony (6758 JP)), have been excluded from this analysis. 

🇯🇵 JAPAN - Stress Tests Part 2 - Operating Cash Flow & Accruals

<figure class="editor-figure mceNonEditable"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/139/255/original/2020-06-11_08-36-54.png?1591832240" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="139255"></figure><div class="content-caption">Source: Japan Analytics</div>STRESS TESTS - This Insight is the first in a series that will use a variety of standard and less-frequently used 'stress-tests' to look through the current euphoria and assess where business risk is concentrated among larger Japanese companies. According to Tokyo Shoko Research, 171 listed Japanese firms have raised nearly ¥10 trillion in new funds to weather COVID-19.ALTMAN Z-SCORES - The first Insight will update our earlier Who's<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/japan-who-s-swimming-naked-part-2-altman-z-score" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:37316" rel="noopener"> Swimming Naked?</a> Insight and focus on the Altman Z-Score as updated for the most recent quarterly results for both manufacturing and non-manufacturing companies.  In each category, ee will look at both the companies that are below Altman's 'distress' levels and those companies that have the most significant negative deviation from their seven-year average score. Only six of the bottom-thirty manufacturing and five of the bottom-thirty manufacturing companies have outperformed over one year. Many are already Oversold and offer potential value opportunities -as with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nissan-motor-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:72:1" rel="noopener">Nissan Motor (7201 JP)</a> which is now as distressed as when Carlos Ghosn first arrived.  QUASI-FINANCIAL FIRMS - The Z-Score methodology does not work for financial firms. Accordingly, five non-financial companies which have significant financial subsidiaries -  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rakuten-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31:1" rel="noopener">Rakuten (4755 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/japan-post-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:359:1" rel="noopener">Japan Post (6178 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/softbank-group-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:315:1" rel="noopener">Softbank Group (9984 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sony-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:563:1" rel="noopener">Sony (6758 JP)</a>- have been excluded from this analysis.

Source: Japan AnalyticsSTRESS TESTS - This Insight is the first in a series that will use a variety of standard and less-frequently used 'stress-tests' to look through the current euphoria and assess where business risk is concentrated among larger Japanese companies. According to Tokyo Shoko Research, 171 listed Japanese firms have raised nearly ¥10 trillion in new funds to weather COVID-19.ALTMAN Z-SCORES - The first Insight will update our earlier Who's Swimming Naked? Insight and focus on the Altman Z-Score as updated for the most recent quarterly results for both manufacturing and non-manufacturing companies.  In each category, ee will look at both the companies that are below Altman's 'distress' levels and those companies that have the most significant negative deviation from their seven-year average score. Only six of the bottom-thirty manufacturing and five of the bottom-thirty manufacturing companies have outperformed over one year. Many are already Oversold and offer potential value opportunities -as with Nissan Motor (7201 JP) which is now as distressed as when Carlos Ghosn first arrived.  QUASI-FINANCIAL FIRMS - The Z-Score methodology does not work for financial firms. Accordingly, five non-financial companies which have significant financial subsidiaries -  Rakuten (4755 JP), Z Holdings (4689 JP), Japan Post (6178 JP), Softbank Group (9984 JP) and Sony (6758 JP)- have been excluded from this analysis. 

🇯🇵 JAPAN - Stress Tests Part 1 - Altman Z-Scores

Japan

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. provides marine transportation, warehousing, and cargo handling services.  The Company operates container ship, specialized carrier, oil tankers, and ferry.  Items transported include coal, iron ore, grain, logs, aluminum, cement, industrial salt, copper ore, wood chips, paper products, chemical products, gasoline and other petroleum products, LPG, and other cargoes.

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Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (9104 JP)

Screening the Silk Road: Q4 2020 High Risk Names to Avoid

Our Q3 screen delivered 600bps of under performance. With volatility is set to increase as we head into H1 2020, which stocks are most at risk in...

David Lepper

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 09/24 - A Quieter Oracle, Hirose, Shippers, NGK, Seibu

• BEST WORST • DAILY STATS

Campbell Gunn

Screening the Silk Road: Q3 2020 High Risk Names to Avoid

Time to remove the upper market cap limit as risk increases. Our screen from this quarter onwards is for all stocks[1] above a market...

David Lepper

🇯🇵 JAPAN - Stress Tests Part 2 - Operating Cash Flow & Accruals

STRESS TESTS - This Insight is the second in our Japan Stress Test series in which we endeavour to assess where business risk is concentrated...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN - Stress Tests Part 1 - Altman Z-Scores

STRESS TESTS - This Insight is the first in a series that will use a variety of standard and less-frequently used 'stress-tests' to look through...

Campbell Gunn

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52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

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Screening the Silk Road: Q4 2020 High Risk Names to Avoid

Our Q3 screen delivered 600bps of under performance. With volatility is set to increase as we head into H1 2020, which stocks are most at risk in...

David Lepper

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 09/​​​​​​​​​​​​24 - A Quieter Oracle, Hirose, Shippers, NGK, Seibu

• BEST WORST • DAILY STATS

Campbell Gunn

Screening the Silk Road: Q3 2020 High Risk Names to Avoid

Time to remove the upper market cap limit as risk increases. Our screen from this quarter onwards is for all stocks[1] above a market...

David Lepper

🇯🇵 JAPAN - Stress Tests Part 2 - Operating Cash Flow & Accruals

STRESS TESTS - This Insight is the second in our Japan Stress Test series in which we endeavour to assess where business risk is concentrated...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN - Stress Tests Part 1 - Altman Z-Scores

STRESS TESTS - This Insight is the first in a series that will use a variety of standard and less-frequently used 'stress-tests' to look through...

Campbell Gunn

🇯🇵 JAPAN • Results & Revisions 09/24 - A Quieter Oracle, Hirose, Shippers, NGK, Seibu