Japan Specialist

Mark Chadwick

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>We see near term headwinds to the outlook from supply chain disruptions. Q4 earnings and guidance for 2022 may disappoint a market that had started to price in margin expansion. </li>
<li>Asics may have gained share in some markets during Covid but we do not see this as permanent shift in brand awareness or power.  </li>
<li>The mid-term plan, digital strategy and 2030 vision are unspectacular and undifferentiated. Fed tightening could be an achilleas heel for Asics valuation.  </li>
</ul>


We see near term headwinds to the outlook from supply chain disruptions. Q4 earnings and guidance for 2022 may disappoint a market that had started to price in margin expansion. 
Asics may have gained share in some markets during Covid but we do not see this as permanent shift in brand awareness or power.  
The mid-term plan, digital strategy and 2030 vision are unspectacular and undifferentiated. Fed tightening could be an achilleas heel for Asics valuation.  


Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Equity Analyst

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.

<ul>
<li>A host of Japanese apparel brands are starting to reject cotton produced in the Xinjiang region.</li>
<li>Even though Fast Retailing is unlikely to stake a strong stand against the Xinjiang cotton controversy, actions by other Japanese brands could still affect Uniqlo in the Chinese market.</li>
<li>The Uniqlo brand resonates with Japan and a boycott of Japanese brands in China could have severe consequences to Uniqlo’s Chinese business.</li>
</ul>


A host of Japanese apparel brands are starting to reject cotton produced in the Xinjiang region.
Even though Fast Retailing is unlikely to stake a strong stand against the Xinjiang cotton controversy, actions by other Japanese brands could still affect Uniqlo in the Chinese market.
The Uniqlo brand resonates with Japan and a boycott of Japanese brands in China could have severe consequences to Uniqlo’s Chinese business.


China’s Boycott of Western Brands Could Extend to Japanese Brands Amidst Xinjiang Cotton Controversy

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, 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.

Equity Capital Markets

Li Ning aims to raise around US$1bn via a top-up placement in Hong Kong. The company has been doing well over the past year and most of the past deals in the name have done well too.We have covered the previous placements in:<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/li-ning-placement-viva-china-selling-small-deal-size-and-overhang-is-manageable" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:37995" rel="noopener">Li Ning Placement - Viva China Selling - Small Deal Size and Overhang Is Manageable</a> </li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/li-ning-placement-expectations-adjusted-overhang-removed" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:11323" rel="noopener">Li Ning Placement - Expectations Adjusted, Overhang Removed</a></li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/li-ning-just-the-start-of-tpg-exit" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:8239" rel="noopener">Li Ning - Just the Start of TPG Exit</a></li>
</ul>

Li Ning aims to raise around US$1bn via a top-up placement in Hong Kong. The company has been doing well over the past year and most of the past deals in the name have done well too.We have covered the previous placements in:

Li Ning Placement - Viva China Selling - Small Deal Size and Overhang Is Manageable 
Li Ning Placement - Expectations Adjusted, Overhang Removed
Li Ning - Just the Start of TPG Exit


Li Ning Placement - Momentum Remains Strong. Past Deals Have Done Well.

Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

<ul><li>Nike's strong set of results re-emphasized its strong competitive positioning and market leadership in its domain as the company saw a staggering 95% growth in the fourth quarter and a 19% growth for the fiscal year.</li><li>The company witnessed a broad-based growth in Q4, led by North America at more than 140%.</li><li>Overall, we are optimistic about Nike's growth strategy and give it an ‘Outperform’ rating with a revised target price.</li></ul>

Nike's strong set of results re-emphasized its strong competitive positioning and market leadership in its domain as the company saw a staggering 95% growth in the fourth quarter and a 19% growth for the fiscal year.The company witnessed a broad-based growth in Q4, led by North America at more than 140%.Overall, we are optimistic about Nike's growth strategy and give it an ‘Outperform’ rating with a revised target price.

Nike Inc Investment Thesis, Key Drivers, Financial & Price Forecasts, DCF Valuation 10/21

<ul>
<li>After growing at around 7% over 2012-19, China’s GDP growth dipped to 2.3% in 2020 due to COVID-19. The World Bank estimates the GDP growth to bounce back to 8.4% in 2021 but projects a rapid deceleration (5.4% in 2022) thereafter due to multiple economic headwinds.</li>
<li>We think that the Chinese sportswear market is highly influenced by the GDP growth as it declined at an annual average rate of 2% during 2011-13 when the GDP growth decelerated from 9.6% to 7.8%.</li>
</ul>


After growing at around 7% over 2012-19, China’s GDP growth dipped to 2.3% in 2020 due to COVID-19. The World Bank estimates the GDP growth to bounce back to 8.4% in 2021 but projects a rapid deceleration (5.4% in 2022) thereafter due to multiple economic headwinds.
We think that the Chinese sportswear market is highly influenced by the GDP growth as it declined at an annual average rate of 2% during 2011-13 when the GDP growth decelerated from 9.6% to 7.8%.


Chinese Sportswear: Macro Headwinds Pose Significant Downside Risks

United States

Deckers Outdoor Corporation designs and markets footwear and accessories.  The Company offers footwear for men, women and children. Deckers sells its products including accessories such as handbags, headwear, and outerwear, through domestic retailers and international distributors and directly to end-user consumers, through call centers, retail concept stores and retail outlet stores.

lululemon athletica Inc. designs and retails athletic clothing.  The Company produces fitness pants, shorts, tops and jackets for yoga, dance, running, and general fitness. lululemon serves customers throughout the world.

Skechers U.S.A., Inc. designs and markets branded contemporary casual, active, rugged, and lifestyle footwear for men, women, and children.  The Company sells its products to department stores and specialty retailers.  Skechers also sells its products internationally through distributors and directly to consumers through its own retail stores.

Ralph Lauren Corporation designs, markets, and distributes men's, women's and children's apparel, accessories, fragrances, and home furnishings. The Company's products are sold under a wide range of brands. Ralph Lauren's operations include wholesale, retail, and licensing.

Crocs, Inc. designs and manufactures shoes.  The Company produces soft, lightweight, non-marking, slip- and odor-resistant shoes made of closed-cell resin material.  Crocs manufactures men's, women's, and children's shoes and markets them to retail chains.

Tapestry, Inc. designs and markets clothes and accessories. The Company offers handbags, leather goods, footwear, fragrance, jewelry, outer wear, ready-to-wear, scarves, sunwear, travel accessories, and watches. Tapestry serves customers in the United States.

VF Corporation is an international apparel company. The Company owns a broad portfolio of brands in the jeanswear, outerwear, packs, footwear, sportswear and occupational apparel categories. VF Corp's products are marketed to consumers shopping in specialty stores, upscale and traditional department stores, national chains and mass merchants.

Columbia Sportswear Company designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes active outdoor apparel.  The Company's products include outerwear, sportswear, rugged footwear, and related accessories.  Columbia's products are sold to specialty and department store retailers in the United States and other countries.

PVH Corp. designs, sources, manufactures, and markets men's, women's, and children's apparel and footwear.  The Company markets its products at a wholesale level through department store chains and directly to consumers through retail stores. PVH Corp offers attire that includes dress shirts, sportswear, neckwear, and footwear.

Levi Strauss & Co. manufactures and distributes apparels. The Company offers jeans, casual pants, tops, jackets, shirts, and other related products. Levi Strauss serves customers worldwide.

Prada S.p.A. is an Italian fashion company that designs, manufactures, promotes and sells high-end leather goods, ready-to-wear and footwear through various brands.

ANTA Sports Products Limited designs, develops, manufactures, and markets sportswear, including sports footwear and apparel for professionals and the general public.

Shenzhou International Group Holdings Ltd manufactures and processes textiles.  The Company produces, dyes, finishes, prints, embroiders, cuts, and sews knitwear.

Titan Co. Ltd. manufactures and retails jewelry and watches. The Company also produces perfume for men and women.

ASICS CORPORATION manufactures general sporting goods and equipment.  The Company's products, such as athletic shoes and sportswear, are distributed in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

Moncler S.p.A. is a brand with a winter heritage. Known for its outerwear, Moncler today designs and produces clothing and accessories for women, men and children, directly distributed through Moncler boutiques, its online store, department stores and multibrand stores.

Christian Dior SE manufactures luxury products such as upscale clothing, champagne and wines, cognac and spirits, luggage and leather goods, perfumes and cosmetics, and jewelry and watches.  The Company markets its products internationally.

Kering SA designs, manufactures and markets luxury and sport & lifestyle goods. The Company's brands include Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Puma and Volcom. Kering operates globally and is headquartered in Paris, France.

adidas AG manufactures sports shoes and sports equipment. The Company produces products that include footwear, sports apparel, and golf clubs and balls. adidas sells its products worldwide.

Pandora A/S designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes hand finished and modern jewellery made from primarily sterling  silver, gold, precious and semiprecious stones and Murano glass. The Company offers rings, bracelets, necklaces and earings.

NIKE, Inc. designs, develops, and markets athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products for men, women, and children. The Company sells its products worldwide to retail stores, through its own stores, subsidiaries, and distributors.

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Nike (NKE US)

Asics (7936) | Running Out of Steam

We see near term headwinds to the outlook from supply chain disruptions. Q4 earnings and guidance for 2022 may disappoint a market that had started...

Mark Chadwick

China’s Boycott of Western Brands Could Extend to Japanese Brands Amidst Xinjiang Cotton Controversy

A host of new Japanese apparel makers including Sanyo Shokai and TSI have recently become a part of a growing list of international companies to...

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Li Ning Placement - Momentum Remains Strong. Past Deals Have Done Well.

Li Ning aims to raise around US$1bn via a top-up placement in Hong Kong. The company has been doing well over the past year and most of the past...

Sumeet Singh

Nike Inc Investment Thesis, Key Drivers, Financial & Price Forecasts, DCF Valuation 10/21

Nike's strong set of results re-emphasized its strong competitive positioning and market leadership in its domain as the company saw a staggering...

Baptista Research

Chinese Sportswear: Macro Headwinds Pose Significant Downside Risks

The Chinese sportswear market is highly influenced by the GDP growth as it declined at an annual average rate of 2% during 2011-13 when the GDP...

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

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