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

Samsung KODEX Top5Plus Total Return ETF / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Korea's financial authorities prompted LPs to refrain from providing liquidity to ETFs through short-selling. This has resulted in a significant increase in both the frequency and magnitude of tracking errors.</li>
<li>Therefore, it's time to actively explore this from an arbitrage trading standpoint. ETF arbitrage involves straightforward steps: purchasing and redeeming ETFs, followed by selling the underlying shares in the market.</li>
<li>The focus should be particularly directed towards sector ETFs that include a select few large-cap stocks carrying single-stock futures.</li>
</ul>


Korea's financial authorities prompted LPs to refrain from providing liquidity to ETFs through short-selling. This has resulted in a significant increase in both the frequency and magnitude of tracking errors.
Therefore, it's time to actively explore this from an arbitrage trading standpoint. ETF arbitrage involves straightforward steps: purchasing and redeeming ETFs, followed by selling the underlying shares in the market.
The focus should be particularly directed towards sector ETFs that include a select few large-cap stocks carrying single-stock futures.


Investigating Arbitrage Trading Potential to Exploit ETF Tracking Error Widening in Korea

<ul>
<li>The plan is to select 20 large-cap companies from around 30 with value-up disclosures by late August, then gradually expand the index's constituents.</li>
<li>Investors seeking both dividends and value-up benefits must buy stocks individually, as ETFs lack tax advantages, potentially triggering fund shifts from dividend ETFs to value-up stocks.</li>
<li>We can target stocks in dividend ETFs not making value-up disclosures, as they may face overhang risk during fund migration to the value-up index.</li>
</ul>


The plan is to select 20 large-cap companies from around 30 with value-up disclosures by late August, then gradually expand the index's constituents.
Investors seeking both dividends and value-up benefits must buy stocks individually, as ETFs lack tax advantages, potentially triggering fund shifts from dividend ETFs to value-up stocks.
We can target stocks in dividend ETFs not making value-up disclosures, as they may face overhang risk during fund migration to the value-up index.


Flow Developments to Watch as the Release of the Value-Up Index Approaches

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

<ul>
<li>The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-kodex-top5plus-total-return-etf" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36723:1" rel="noopener">Samsung KODEX Top5Plus Total Return ETF (315930 KS)</a> tracks the FnGuide Top 5 Plus Index and has an AUM of KRW 1,357bn (~US$1bn).</li>
<li>We currently see a high probability of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/celltrion-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:991:1" rel="noopener">Celltrion Inc (068270 KS)</a> replacing <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kt-g-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9320:1" rel="noopener">KT&amp;G Corporation (033780 KS)</a> in the index at the June rebalance.</li>
<li>There is between 1-2 days of ADV to trade on the potential add and delete and smaller flows on the other index members due to capping and funding changes.</li>
</ul>


The Samsung KODEX Top5Plus Total Return ETF (315930 KS) tracks the FnGuide Top 5 Plus Index and has an AUM of KRW 1,357bn (~US$1bn).
We currently see a high probability of Celltrion Inc (068270 KS) replacing KT&amp;G Corporation (033780 KS) in the index at the June rebalance.
There is between 1-2 days of ADV to trade on the potential add and delete and smaller flows on the other index members due to capping and funding changes.


FnGuide Top 5 Plus Index Rebalance Preview: Celltrion Could Replace KT&G

<ul>
<li>Despite time until screening, predictions likely hold due to market cap gaps; all candidates are banks, benefiting from recent momentum.</li>
<li>Historical patterns show profit-taking selling affecting price impact, particularly on additions with significant pre-inclusion price rises. Monitor banks' pre-June 14th price appreciation to anticipate impact distortions.</li>
<li>Shorting LG Chem and LG Energy Solution based on high price cointegration, consider basket-trading them before the rebalancing, using the battery sector as a long hedge.</li>
</ul>


Despite time until screening, predictions likely hold due to market cap gaps; all candidates are banks, benefiting from recent momentum.
Historical patterns show profit-taking selling affecting price impact, particularly on additions with significant pre-inclusion price rises. Monitor banks' pre-June 14th price appreciation to anticipate impact distortions.
Shorting LG Chem and LG Energy Solution based on high price cointegration, consider basket-trading them before the rebalancing, using the battery sector as a long hedge.


Underexposed Flow Trading Opportunity: LONG Banks & SHORT LG Chem/Energy on June 14

<ul>
<li>Samsung SDI and LG Chem are expected to be newly included in the index, while Hana Financial and KT&amp;G Corporation are predicted to be excluded.</li>
<li>The correlation between the price movement and the flow direction on the rebalancing trading day of constituent changes from the past reviews was quite high.</li>
<li>We can set the price impact expectation for the upcoming review even more aggressively, given that the size of the flow x DTV is more significant than in previous cases.</li>
</ul>


Samsung SDI and LG Chem are expected to be newly included in the index, while Hana Financial and KT&amp;G Corporation are predicted to be excluded.
The correlation between the price movement and the flow direction on the rebalancing trading day of constituent changes from the past reviews was quite high.
We can set the price impact expectation for the upcoming review even more aggressively, given that the size of the flow x DTV is more significant than in previous cases.


Price/Flow Impact on Four Constituent Changes in KODEX Top 5 Plus ETF Rebalancing in June

South Korea

Samsung KODEX Top5Plus Total Return ETF is an exchange-traded fund established in South Korea. The fund's objective is to provide investment return that tracks the performance of FnGuide TOP5 Plus Total Return Index.

Samsung KODEX Top5Plus Total Return ETF (315930 KS)

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Samsung KODEX Top5Plus Total Return ETF (315930 KS)

Investigating Arbitrage Trading Potential to Exploit ETF Tracking Error Widening in Korea

This post investigates arbitrage trading potential to capitalize on the tracking error widening in South Korean local ETFs.

Sanghyun Park

Flow Developments to Watch as the Release of the Value-Up Index Approaches

This post investigates potential flow developments that we should watch as the the release of the value-up index approaches.

Sanghyun Park

FnGuide Top 5 Plus Index Rebalance Preview: Celltrion Could Replace KT&G

Celltrion could replace KT&G in the FnGuide Top5 Plus Index in June. Passives will need to buy 1x ADV in Celltrion and sell 2x ADV in KT&G. There...

Brian Freitas

Underexposed Flow Trading Opportunity: LONG Banks & SHORT LG Chem/Energy on June 14

This post highlights an upcoming flow trading event on June 14th, stemming from the annual rebalancing of Korea's two largest sector ETFs.

Sanghyun Park

Price/Flow Impact on Four Constituent Changes in KODEX Top 5 Plus ETF Rebalancing in June

This post presents a Long Short basket trade idea on the four potential constituent changes in the KODEX Top 5 Plus TR ETF rebalancing in June.

Sanghyun Park

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)